Golden Slumbers
by Tales Of Brave Ulysees
Summary: A mission to rescue a group of mutants being held captive by the Friends Of Humanity goes bad and leads to a chain of events. Note: Mainly centered around Gambit and Wolverine, but has plenty of other X-Men as well. (((complete)))
1. Chapter One

_(((Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel.)))_

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Golden Slumbers

Chapter 1

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The town was completely dark and looked as if it had been abandoned for some time. The buildings were old and worn, lit only by the glow of a full moon. It was eerily quiet. No people, no traffic, no stray cats or dogs. Nothing at all. Just an old ghost town with no signs of inhabitance. Nobody other than the three of them. They stayed hidden in the shadows, listening and waiting. They had been waiting patiently for about fifteen minutes now. Well, other than one of them that had had enough of sitting there. He clinched his jaw, fighting back the urge to vent his anger due to the fact that the mission called for a silent sneak attack. He wasn't a very tall man, but his broad form made up more than enough for his lack of height and the look in his eyes would make anybody think twice before getting on his bad side. He was known for having a short fuse and this was no exception. His patience was wearing thin and finally he couldn't keep quiet anymore.

"This ain't my idea of a workout." He growled. "What's the bleedin' hold up?"

The two women behind him weren't too surprised to hear him break the silence. They had been exchanging glances as they watched Wolverine from behind, gradually losing his patience and finally his temper.

"Be patient, Logan." One of them said. She had long, white hair with a white uniform to match it. She was Ororo Munroe, also known as Storm (or Stormy by a certain Cajun thief). Beside her was a rather annoyed Rogue, who despite being impatient herself still had the ability to carry out a mission the way it was supposed to be carried out.

"Would yah zip it?" She demanded it more than asked it. "Ah recall this bein' yer bright idea in the first place."

"Both of you, we must stay silent." Storm put an end to the bickering before it went on any longer.

Wolverine let out an annoyed grunt, but then went back to waiting without saying another word. The wait lasted another five minutes or so before something finally caught his attention. He heard something approaching from the distance and a moment later so did Rogue and Storm. They braced themselves for whatever was coming and Wolverine almost cracked a smile, thinking it was about time. After a short wait they saw the source of the noise. A large group of soldiers armed with heavy weaponry were heading down the road in their direction. You could easily tell by looking at them that they were no ordinary soldiers. They weren't human or mutant, but looked as if they were robots. They moved as if they were human, but there was no doubt about it that they weren't. Wolverine was itching to make his move, but actually following orders for once waited for the cue from Storm and once the soldiers got a little closer Storm took to the air.

"Now!" She shouted, flying over the soldiers and unleashing a bolt of lighting into the center of them.

Within a few seconds Wolverine was already at the soldiers and stabbing his adamantium claws into one of them. Rogue followed closely behind and flew through the unsuspecting soldiers, taking out several as she passed.

"It's about time you tin cans show up!" Wolverine snarled as he tosses a dead soldier aside and began on another.

One of them took aim with its gun and fired a shot at Storm, who gracefully dodged it and followed with a forceful lighting strike that blew a whole right through it. Rogue was less successful when she tried to dodge a shot directed towards her, but quickly recovered from the blow and flew towards the soldier. A powerful fist to the chest sent it flying into the wall of a nearby building, cracking the cement from the impact. Wolverine was very much enjoying himself as he tore through the crowd of soldiers until something from behind sent him tumbling to the ground. He quickly got back to his feet to face a soldier pointing its gun at him. Wolverine let out an angry growl and prepared to attack, but before he had the chance something from behind blew it to pieces. He was annoyed to see a familiar Cajun standing behind it giving him a rather smug grin.

"You best keep your eyes open, Wolverine." He said as a card slid from the sleeve of his duster and into his hand. "Next time Gambit might not be around ta lend a hand."

"Watch yer own back, Cajun!" Wolverine scowled before turning his attention back to the soldiers around him.

Sometimes Gambit's arrogance really got on his nerves, but at the moment he felt like taking care of the enemy rather than getting into an argument in the middle of a battle. When it came to Wolverine and Gambit most of the time they weren't actually arguments, but more like Wolverine making threats and Gambit giving some kind of cocky reply in return. Whatever they were Wolverine knew he would much rather finish taking care of the current situation.

He stabbed his claws into a soldiers forehead and then pulled his hand back, watching the soldiers body collapse to the ground. Now several other members of the team were there. Cyclops, Jean, Beast and even Jubilee were joined in and fighting off the soldiers. The battle continued as more and more soldiers kept appearing as if out of nowhere, but they were being destroyed almost as quickly as they were appearing. Just as Rogue sent one flying through the air with an uppercut she heard a sound thundering in the sky that sounded very simular to jet engines.

"Now what?" She asked out loud to herself, not really expecting an answer. She looked up just in time to see sentinels approaching.

"Oh, great, sentinels." Jubilee commented sarcastically when she also spotted the sentinels heading in their direction. "That's all we needed."

"Everybody stay close together!" Cyclops called out, falling into his leader roll.

The fight continued and the sentinels were about to add to the problem. Storm struck several of them down with bolts of lightning, but the remaining sentinels were now landing and surrounding the battle area. Rogue quickly went after one and rammed it directly in the center of its upper body, the collision sending it back and crashing into a building. Now it was Wolverine's turn. As far as he was concerned the soldiers were just the warm-up act and now he was looking forward to the main event. He charged a sentinel that was unaware of his presence until he ran passed its leg, cutting through it as he passed. The sentinels injured leg gave in and it nearly collapsed to the ground as Wolverine ran around to get behind it. Without wasting any time he put all of his effort into jumping onto its back and getting a firm hold by stabbing his claws into it. Once he was in place he began climbing up its back until he reached its shoulders. The sentinel attempted to get him off, but by then it was too late and Wolverine already had his claws in its neck, causing it to lifelessly fall forward onto the ground.

Sentinels and soldiers were falling all around and a victory was looking near. Cyclops had blown the head off of a sentinel and Jean was now focusing her mind on sending it flying through the air until it rammed into another attacking sentinel, smashing a hole through it. After a moment the enemy could only be seen defeated and lifeless on the ground. Pieces of sentinels were scattered around the area, as were pieces of the soldiers and many of the buildings now had gaping holes in them from explosions or sentinels falling on them. Suddenly everything vanished. No more soldiers, no more sentinels, no more buildings. There was no more town. Instead it was now replaced by a large, empty room. The training session had come to an end. The holograms produced in the Danger Room were gone and the team turned to face a large window looking down over them. Watching them from it was Professor Xavier who flipped on the intercom to speak with them.

"That will do for today." He said, knowing the battle was plenty enough for one day. "You all did very good. Now I suggest everybody try and get some rest before dinner."

* * *

Unlike Wolverine, Gambit didn't want to take part in the training session that was scheduled for the day and he for one was glad it was over. Not that he disliked training in the Danger Room. He often found himself practicing in it when sessions hadn't even been scheduled, but today he wasn't in the mood. Although he couldn't help but smile to himself when he remembered the way he had set off Wolverine's temper.

After a moment his train of thought was interrupted by the sudden feeling of hunger. He realized he hadn't had any food all day, just a snack here and there, and was now thinking about the dinner Jean and Storm discussed fixing right after the training session had ended. As he walked down the stairs he sniffed the air and could smell something cooking in the kitchen. When he rounded the corner he spotted Wolverine and Jubilee sitting at the kitchen counter while Jean and Storm were busy cooking.

"What's on de menu for tonight?" He asked as he drifted into the kitchen to look over their shoulders. Once he got a good look at the chicken being prepared he made a slightly disgusted face, obviously not impressed by what he was seeing. "I t'ink maybe dis dinner need Gambit's touch, non?"

"No is right, now get out of here or you don't get any." Jean replied, pointing a wooden spoon at him in a less than threatening manner.

"Yeah." Jubilee quickly added. "Last time you made us all dinner it was so hot we could barely eat it."

"Ain't not'in wrong wit a little spice, p'tite." Gambit said as he made his way out of the kitchen. "You jus' gotta get used to it. Once you do, don' not'in else come close."

Jubilee silently responded with a roll of the eyes and went on blowing a bubble with the gum she was chewing. Gambit walked around the kitchen counter as Wolverine pulled out a cigar.

"Don't even think about it, Logan." Storm spotted the cigar right away. "If you wish to smoke you'll have to go outside."

Wolverine looked annoyed as he thought it over for a moment. He realized he wasn't going to change her mind, just as he couldn't change the Professor or Scott's.

"No problem." He finally replied as he stood up and stuck the cigar between his teeth. "I could use some fresh air anyway."

He walked out of the room and Gambit took his seat in his place, pulling out a deck of cards and restlessly flipping through them.

"So how long dis dinner gonna be?" He asked, looking very bored. Storm sighed to herself and looked over at him.

"We just started it." She answered. "It is still going to be awhile."

Gambit made a disappointed face and continued flipping through his cards. As the dinner cooked everybody occupied their time with casual conversation. At one point Gambit tried to show Jubilee a card trick, but she told him to grow up and refused to play along.

After about a twenty minute wait the dinner was almost ready and hungry faces were begining to gather around the kitchen. Logan had returned from the walk he had taken to smoke his cigar and Beast made his way out of the lab and joined the others after being alerted by Rogue that the food was almost ready. Rogue was now lending a hand in moving the food to the table while everybody started taking their seats around it. Gambit smiled as the food was placed on the table in front of him. It looked better to him now, possibly because of how much his hunger had grown in the last twenty minutes.

Professor Xavier came in with a smile and took his place at the table. He always enjoyed seeing the whole team gathered together for reasons other than fighting or training in the Danger Room. Everybody began dishing up their plates and the room grew loud with conversation as dishes were passed around from person to person.

* * *

It was a cold night. Thick clouds were covering the moon and the ground was covered with a thin layer of fog. Normally the fog didn't appear until the early hours of the morning, but it came much sooner this night. Gambit could see his breath in the air as he looked down from the roof of the mansion. After dinner was over he felt like heading up to the roof to have some time to himself. He sat and stared at nothing while he thought to himself. He wasn't thinking about anything in particular, just thinking.

After an hour or so passed he decided it was time to turn in. He usually stayed up until all hours of the night, but was tired and figured that there was no point in staying awake any longer so he got up and headed for his room.

* * *

Logan's fist came down, his adamantium claws cutting a thick log in two. The day was rather uneventful so he decided to get out and cut some firewood. He tossed the two pieces of wood into an already large pile of cut pieces and set up another log, cutting it in half and adding to the pile. He had been at it for awhile, tired of spending the entire day indoors like everybody else. He didn't know how they could do it. Spending all their time watching TV or reading or whatever they happened to be doing. Sure it was a cold day and there wasn't a spot in the sky that wasn't covered with dark clouds that looked as if they could begin pouring rain at any time, but he couldn't take not doing anything. He tried to sit and watch something with Jubilee, but he didn't last long.

He went on cutting until he ran out of logs and took a look at the pile he created. Wiping the sweat from his brow he turned and looked towards the mansion. He felt like he could use a cold drink so he began walking back to it.

Once he got inside he made his way to the kitchen. He didn't see anybody and thought he was better off, he wasn't really in the mood to chat. He pulled open the refridgerator and took a look inside to see what there was to drink. He didn't find anything that looked good to him so he finally settled on a glass of water and quickly gulped it down. He could hear a TV on in the other room and decided to see who was there.

Jubilee was asleep on the couch and Gambit was reclined in a chair with his hands behind his head, looking very relaxed. He was staring at the TV and looked like he was about to fall asleep himself, but snapped out of it when he saw Wolverine.

"Done already, eh?" He commented before turning his attention back to the TV screen.

"Yeah." Logan answered without offering any further conversation and walked up to the couch.

The news was on and it cut to anti-mutant protesters at a city building. He couldn't help but clench his fist at the sight of them.

"I'm so bored." Logan looked down to see that Jubilee was now awake. She sat up on the couch, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Let's go do something."

"Like what, p'tite?" Gambit asked with a smile.

"I don't know." She replied, thinking to herself for a second. "Anything!"

* * *

She talked them into it. The sun was setting as they drove down the road in Logan's jeep. Logan was driving while Gambit sat in the passenger seat and Jubilee in the back. She finally got them to give in and take her out to shoot some pool.

They pulled up to the pool hall and Gambit slipped on a pair of sunglasses to hide his eyes before following through the front door. They had been in plenty of bar fights over being mutants and his red on black eyes were a sure giveaway and called out for trouble from mutant haters. Several of the occupants inside looked in their direction when they entered the building and it appeared as if strangers were frowned upon here. Their glares were ignored as Logan led the way to a pool table and they began setting up a game.

"You break, Gumbo." Logan said, ignoring the stares still focused on them and tossing Gambit a pool cue.

"You got it, mon ami." Gambit replied as he got in position to take his first shot. "Watch and learn. Gambit show you how it's done."

Gambit started the game by sinking several balls before losing his turn. Logan was next and sank a few balls before missing a shot, giving Jubilee the oppertunity to make her move. She managed to knock the balls around the table, but failed to sink any. They payed no attention to the eyes still concentrated on them and continued to play. Soon an hour had passed. Then another...

"Admit it, Logan, you lost." Gambit looked over the table as he made his way around it.

"It ain't over yet, Gumbo." Logan replied. "Now quit yer yappin' and shoot."

Logan glanced over at the bar where Jubilee had gone to get them drinks. He had been keeping an eye on her, not sure if they would have trouble with any of the men sitting at the counter. Gambit smiled when he noticed the concerned look in his eyes.

"Relax." He said, lining up his pool cue with a ball. "P'tite can take care of herself."

Logan turned back to Gambit just as he sank the last ball, winning the game. A smug smile appeared on Gambit's face as he took the winning ball out of the table pocket and tossed it to him.

"Dat's game." His smile grew when Logan let out a low, annoyed grunt as he turned back to check up on Jubilee.

She was now carrying their drinks over to them. Logan felt relieved and relaxed a little as she reached the table. Just then he caught sight of a man approaching her from behind. The man grabbed her arm, causing her to almost spill the drinks she was carrying.

"Hey!" She shouted, trying to pull her arm free from his grip. "Get your hands off me!"

Without a moments warning the man found himself on the ground and looking up at the fist that sent him there. He grabbed his jaw that was throbbing with pain and met the gaze of a very angry Logan.

"You lay a hand on her again and I use these!" Logan growled as he held his fist up, revealing his adamantium claws.

Gambit quickly got beside Jubilee, preparing for whatever was about to unfold. He tossed his glasses aside, knowing that his eyes made no difference now and pulled a card out.

"They're mutants!" The man on the ground shouted as the entire bar burst out with angry shouts from the surrounding crowd.

"Yeah." Logan replied, ready for the attack that was sure to follow. "What of it, Bub?"

Nearly a dozen men charged towards them and pulled out weapons as they approached. Gambit glanced over at the bar just in time to see the bartender pull out a shotgun and quickly charged the card he was holding. He sent it flying through the air and it blew the gun to pieces on impact, knocking the bartender back into the wall behind him.

Logan cut a wooden baseball bat in half as it was swung at him and grabbed the man trying to hit him by the collar of his shirt. He threw the man into several other attackers, knocking them all to the ground.

Gambit easily dodged a mans attempt to hit him in the face and knocked the man uncontious with an elbow to the temple. Logan was busy fending off another attack when a man pulled out a knife and prepared to stab him from behind. Jubilee broke a pool cue over his head and knocked him out cold before he got the chance. She proudly smiled to herself before getting grabbed from behind.

"Let go of me!" She knocked her attacker back away from her and turned to face him. "Let's see how tough you are when you're not sneaking up from behind!"

Gambit kicked the man before Jubilee could react. The man slammed into a nearby table and Gambit turned to her with a smile. "Careful, p'tite."

"I was handling it myself, thank you very much!" Jubilee exclaimed while crossing her arms.

Suddenly a man flew through the air and landed on the ground near them, rolling into the wall with a loud thud. They looked over at Logan who was standing in the middle of many of the uncontious men. Jubilee took a look around and saw that they were the only ones left standing.

"Maybe we should go." She said as Logan retracted his claws.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Storm asked when the three of them walked into the kitchen.

"Took the kid out for awhile." Logan replied, walking towards the refridgerator and sniffing the air. "Milk's bad."

"And where did you go?" Storm was a little suspicious. She could tell when Logan was avoiding a conversation he didn't want to have. He would often give short answers or try to change the subject.

"You know." Jubilee answered, shrugging off the question. "Just out."

"Out?" Storm gave Gambit a knowing look and he smiled, raising an eyebrow.

"Not ta worry, Stormy." He brushed past her and joined Logan at the refridgerator to look for something to eat. She watched them dig through the refridgerator for a moment before deciding to just let it go.

"Everybody to the War Room." Scott's voice caught everybody's attention. He had entered the room without any of them noticing.

"What's going on?" Jubilee asked, turning to face him.

"We have trouble." He answered before walking out of the room without another word.

Gambit looked down at the sandwich materials he had gathered in his hands and sighed, putting them back in the refridgerator. He knew his meal would have to wait. They followed Scott to the War Room and the others were already there waiting. Rogue and Jean were sitting at the table while Beast was looking over something with Professor Xavier.

"Good, you're all here." Xavier spotted the others as they walked in. "Have a seat."

They all took their seats around the table and Gambit leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and resting his feet on the table in front of him. "So what's de problem?"

Beast cleared his throat before speaking. "We seem to have a problem with the Friends Of Humanity."

"Yes, we do." Professor Xavier added. "It seems the FOH have abducted several mutants and are planning to make examples of them."

"Examples?" Rogue asked.

"Yes." Xavier quickly answered. "They plan to hold executions at their rally tonight."

"So then we pay the Friends Of Humanity a little visit." Logan was clearly angry. "I'll enjoy makin' em let those hostages go."

"How many mutants are we talking about here?" Scott asked.

"We don't know." Beast replied. "Only that it is a group."

"So then what are we waiting for?" Jubilee stood up, ready for action. "Let's go!"

"Not so fast, Jubilee." Xavier held his hand up to calm her down. "We need to get in and get out without alerting anybody. We must avoid any confrontation."

"You gotta be kiddin' me?!" Rogue crossed her arms in protest. "They're ready 'ta start killin' those mutants and you're worried about hurtin' any of em?"

"Yes, Rogue." Xavier calmly replied. "We don't want to cause any more problems than we already have. We just want to get them and get out."

"When will we be going?" Storm cut in before there was an argument.

"We need to get there as soon as possible." Xavier answered, turning to Scott. "We'll divide you into two teams. Cyclops will take Jean and Wolverine. Storm will take Gambit, Rogue and Jubilee. Beast will stay behind with me for obvious reasons."

"Yes, my appearance would surely defeat any chances of getting in unnoticed." Beast added. "We will be standing by if any assistance is needed."

"So let's get a move on." Gambit slid his feet off the table and got up from his chair. "We wait too long and it be too late, non?"

"I'm with the Cajun." Logan replied, getting up out of his chair. "I say we stop wastin' our time talkin' about it and go take care of business."

"Remember, no one is to be harmed." Xavier said as the team began to get up to leave.

"Sure, Chuck." Logan sarcastically replied. "How 'bout you tell them the same thing."

Professor Xavier didn't comment on Logan's sarcastic remark and watched the team as they left the room.

"Alright, everybody be ready in five minutes." Scott began giving orders as soon as they were out in the hall. He was the first to head off in the direction of his room to prepare for the mission and the others then did the same.

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	2. Chapter Two

_(((Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel.)))_

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Golden Slumbers

Chapter 2

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The night was cold. It didn't help that they were driving in a convertable. Gambit leaned back and closed his eyes. He had given up the passenger seat in Rogue's car to Storm and was sitting in the back next to Jubilee.

"How can you be so relaxed at a time like this?" Gambit opened his eyes and looked over at Jubilee after she asked the question.

"No use in worryin', p'tite." He answered with a smile.

"We are here." Storm announced as Rogue pulled into a parking space. They all looked down the street at the large building they knew the Friends Of Humanity were gathered in.

"Cyclops, we're here." Rogue spoke into her communicator. Scott's voice came from the other end and gave them the go ahead to move in on the building. They all climbed out of the car and crossed the street.

"Ah got a bad feelin' about this." Rogue said, looking around to make sure they weren't being watched by anybody.

"Don' worry, Chere." Gambit smugly smiled. "You got 'ol Gambit on your side."

Rogue rolled her eyes at him as they continued towards the building. Once they reached the building they stayed back a safe distance to see if there was any security. They spotted two men standing at a door that were obviously members of the FOH.

"Ah got this one." Rogue smiled as she began walking towards the men.

Gambit, Storm and Jubilee stayed hidden as they watched her approach them. They watched as she began a conversation. They couldn't hear what she was saying, but could tell she was flirting. Suddenly with one swift move she knocked the two men against the wall and watched them fall to the ground at her feet. She put her hand on her hip as she looked back with a proud look on her face. Gambit smiled to himself as they came out of their hiding spot and joined her at the door.

"Rogue got a way wit' words, non?" Gambit continued to smile as he looked down at the uncontious men.

"Indeed she does." Storm replied, looking rather preoccupied with the question of how exactly they would go about getting inside. She didn't want to just walk in through the door. Gambit could tell what she was thinking and decided to voice his idea.

"How 'bout I go up top an' take a look around?" He asked as he looked up towards the roof.

"I think we should stay together." Storm answered.

"Gambit just be a minute." He smugly replied.

"Very well." Storm finally agreed after thinking it over for a second.

"Maybe you give me a lift, eh?" Gambit asked while turning to Rogue.

"You got it, sugah." Rogue grabbed a hold of him and took to the air.

She stopped at the edge of the roof so they could search for anybody up top. When they saw the coast was clear she flew up and landed.

"You be careful, swamp rat." Rogue ordered, pointing a finger at him.

"Didn' know you cared, Chere." He replied with an even more smug smile than usual. "I let you know de minute I find somet'in."

"Alright, we'll be down there waitin' for yah." Rogue turned around and flew down from the roof.

Gambit focused his attention on the window on the roof just a few feet away from him. He walked over to it and looked down into the building. He felt his fist tighten when he saw the FOH gathering taking place right below him. He had to deal with mutant haters just a couple of hours earlier and was already having to deal with more.

After staring down at the crowd for a moment he realized he was wasting time and headed towards the door on the roof that led into the building. He tried to open it, but it was locked. He could stand there and pick the lock, but decided to just give it a mild charge instead. The charge was only strong enough to blow the doorknob open and was quiet enough to not be heard by anybody else.

Once the door was open he looked down the stairs before starting down them. His footsteps were light and quiet, almost undetectable. He finally reached another door and slowly turned the doorknob. This door was unlocked. He cracked it open and peaked out into the hallway it led to. He slowly pushed his way through after not seeing anybody. Just as he stepped out into the hall a noise alerted him.

"Gambit, have you found anything?" He pulled out a card from reflex before realizing it was just Storm contacting him through his communicator. He sighed to himself and stepped back through the door to where he wouldn't be seen.

"Patience, Chere." He quietly spoke into his communicator. "You give Gambit one more minute and he find de mutants."

He took another look through the door before stepping back into the hallway. He looked from side to side, trying to decide which way he should go. He decided to go down the hall to the right and cautiously made his way down it. He could hear talking as he got near the corner. He tried to listen, but couldn't make out what they were saying. He prepared to look around the corner and pulled out a card incase he was spotted. After remembering he needed to stay quiet he put the card back into his duster pocket and pulled out his staff, extending it to its full length.

Finally he looked around the corner and saw where the voices were coming from. There were three men sitting outside a door with guns in hand. They looked as if they were guarding whatever was inside. Gambit got the feeling that this might be where the mutants were being held and watched the men talk amongst themselves. Even though he had a distance to clear before he could get to them he decided they weren't even paying enough attention to notice him before it was too late. He gripped his staff tightly and took off running around the corner.

His strides were far and quiet and the men didn't spot him until he reached them. As the men jumped up to their feet Gambit flipped over them, landing behind them and quickly taking all three out with his staff. Then he paused for a moment and waited to see if anybody heard. Luckily nobody did. He put his ear up to the door the men were guarding to see if he could hear anything from inside, but he couldn't. He put his staff away and gave the doorknob a slight charge, just as he did to the door on the roof. A small burst of energy and the door was open. He pulled out a card as he pushed it open, ready to strike if he needed to. His eyes widened when he saw what was inside.

"Chere." He spoke into his communicator. "I found de mutants. You better get in here quick."

"We're on the way." Storm's voice answered.

There were two mutants in the room with Gambit. There was a man and a teenage girl that looked about Jubilee's age, both uncontious. The mans gray skin gave away the fact that he was a mutant, but the girl looked like an ordinary human. Their hands were tied behind their backs with rope and they had collars around their necks that Gambit recognized as the kind they used on Genosha. He walked up to them and knelt down. The girl slowly regained contiousness and looked very confused as she woke up. When she came to she began to realize where she was and looked up at him.

"Get away from me!" She shouted, terrified by the sight of him.

Gambit quickly covered her mouth with one hand and held a finger in front of his mouth with the other, signaling for her to be quiet.

"Quiet, p'tite." He whispered. "Gambit here ta help. Stay quiet or neither of us gettin' outta dis place."

He slowly removed his hand from her mouth, hoping she wouldn't yell again. She still looked terrified, but didn't make any noise. He then looked over at the uncontious man on the ground beside her.

"You de only ones here?" He asked, looking over the girls shoulder at her hands tied behind her back.

"N-no, there's more." She finally answered.

"Hold still." Gambit replied, reaching behind her. He gave the rope around her wrists a small charge and a small explosion set her hands free. "We worry 'bout de necklace later. Don' worry, Gambit got some friends on de way."

Gambit stood up, helping the girl to her feet. Then he hoisted the uncontious man over his shoulder.

"We get you out first." He said as he turned to face the door. "Den we get out de others. Now come on, we best not linger here too long, eh?"

Just as they started to head out of the room several men appeared in the doorway, aiming guns in their direction.

"Get the mutants!" One of them shouted. Before there was any time for them to fire a shot they were hit from the side and knocked away from the door.

"Many thanks, Chere." Gambit smiled when he saw that Rogue was the one who had taken them out. He rushed out of the room, followed by the girl. Storm and Jubilee were waiting out in the hall.

"Are they unharmed?" Storm asked as they came out of the room.

"We're okay." The girl spoke up. "There's others though."

"Rogue." Storm ordered. "You and Jubilee get them out of here. Gambit and I will find the others."

"You got it." Rogue replied, taking the uncontious man from Gambit. Rogue and Jubilee rushed away with the two mutants, leaving Storm and Gambit to search for the remaining hostages.

"Cyclops." Storm spoke into her communicator as they rushed down the hall. "We have found two mutants, but there are more somewhere in the building."

"We think we know where they are." Cyclops' voice answered. "We might need your help."

"We are on the way." She answered as they continued down the hall. "Our presence is known, we must hurry."

Gambit and Storm ran down the hall intent on reaching the rest of the team in time to help. They reached an elevator, but decided it would be better to use the stairs and started down them. They were surprised they hadn't encountered any other members of the FOH and figured the rally must have been starting. As they got near the bottom of the staircase they could hear the sound of gunfire growing louder and louder. They exchanged glances at the door before charging through it into whatever chaos was waiting for them on the other side.

Once in the room they found themselves in the middle of a battle taking place between a crowd of FOH members and the other X-Men. Gunfire was sent flying in their direction as soon as they were spotted and they both managed to dodge the shots. Gambit dove to the ground, rolling to his feet with several cards in hand and throwing them at the gunmen. The explosion of the cards hitting the floor beneath their feet blew them into the air and they were knocked uncontious.

"Get em outta here, we'll hold em off!" Wolverine shouted as he charged another group of men.

Jean was protecting several mutants that had collars around their necks and looked as if they were barely contious. Gambit realized they had obviously found the rest of the hostages. He sent more cards flying through the air as Cyclops helped Jean get them out of the room. Storm covered their retreat with a bolt of lightning and continued to fight the men along with Wolverine and Gambit. They would leave once the hostages were safely out of the building, but had to hold off the FOH until then.

Storm blinded the men with a thick fog while Wolverine charged through it to attack them. He managed to take several of them out and Gambit joined him, using his staff to take several out himself. The battle continued, more and more FOH members racing into the room.

"Gettin' a bit thick in here, non?" Gambit commented as he hit a man across the face with his staff.

"I like the odds!" Wolverine plunged into a crowd of attackers, knocking them to the ground.

Gambit glanced over at Storm just as she sent two men flying into a wall with a powerful gust of wind. Then his attention was caught by a man he saw clutching a grenade. The man had his arm back and was already begining to throw it in Storm's direction. Gambit felt his heart skip a beat. He didn't have much time to react and took off running towards her, throwing his staff to knock the grenade out of the air. He was so distracted and caught off guard that his aim wasn't as accurate as usual and he missed. He dove at her and pulled her to the ground, trying to get out of the path of the grenade. It was too late. There was a bright flash and his vision went black.

His ears were filled with a loud ringing and he tumbled to the floor, landing with a hard thud. All he could hear was the ringing in his ears and the unbearable burning in his eyes made it impossible for him to open them. Fighting back the pain he forced himself to stand up, but he had lost all sense of direction and quickly lost his balance, falling back to the ground. He then reached his hand out and felt around the floor to see if Storm was anywhere near him. His eyes were begining to burn even worse than before, but the ringing in his ears began to slightly fade away. At first he could hear muffled shouts and gunfire, but it wasn't long before he could hear everything going on around him.

"Storm!" His call went unanswered.

He attempted to open his eyes, but was still unable to and there was a severe sharp pain when he tried. Then he heard a voice call out his name. He couldn't identify who it was through all the noise going on around him, but he could tell it was close. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Gambit, are you alright?!" Now he could tell it was Jean.

"Fine, Chere." He replied as he wiped his eyes, feeling something wet. "Why my eyes wet?"

"They're bleeding." He heard her voice quickly respond. "Come on, we have to get out of here! I'll help you see."

He could feel her pull him to his feet and he managed to stay standing this time with her help. Then he could see again. He didn't have his eyes open, but Jean's power was allowing him to see as long as she had it concentrated on him.

"Where's Storm?" He asked as he looked around through his closed eyes. He caught a glimpse of Beast rushing out of the room with Storm uncontious in his arms.

"She's safe, now let's go!" Jean exclaimed, leading Gambit towards the door. He saw that Cyclops had returned as well and was helping Wolverine fend off the FOH that were still attacking. Gambit stumbled as Jean helped him through the door, but she managed to keep him up. She continued moving him along until they finally got out of the building. Then he felt his legs give out as he collapsed. Jean tried to keep him standing, but he was too heavy. After one last sharp pain in his head he hit the pavement and felt himself drift into uncontiousness.

* * *

The pain wasn't quite as unbearable as before. As he woke up he could still feel the burning in his eyes and hear the ringing in his ears, but neither were as bad as they had been. When he held his hand up to his eyes he could feel that there was a bandage wrapped around his head to cover them. Then he slowly started to sit up in the bed he could feel he was in. 

"Not so fast, my friend." He heard Beast's familiar voice. "You need your rest."

"What happened?" Gambit asked, turning in the direction the voice came from. Even though he couldn't see he had an idea of where Beast was standing.

"You'll be alright." He heard his voice reply. "A grenade went off within close range of your head. You're very lucky. Your injuries are quite minimal from what they could have been. You'll have to keep that bandage over your eyes for a short time, they were severly injured by the blast. Besides a mild concussion and a ringing I'm sure you hear in your ears that is the only thing I've found wrong with you."

"What about Storm?" Gambit realized he had no idea what condition she was in and took Beast's pause before answering a bad sign.

"She is, uuh..." His voice sounded uncertain. "Ororo will be alright. She will just need time to recooperate."

Gambit knew he wasn't telling him everything, but decided not to pursue the question. He would find out soon enough and at the moment he would actually rather not know.

"You'll be glad to know all the mutant prisoners were rescued." Beast tried to change the subject. "I've looked over them and none have serious injuries."

"Good." Gambit replied as he leaned back in his bed.

"Well, you should get your rest." He heard Beast say before hearing his footsteps begin to walk away. "I'll be back later to check on you."

"Whatever you say, mon ami." He answered as he sighed to himself.

He didn't like being watched over by doctors and knew Hank was never one to take his work lightly. He tried to relax and ignore the pain in his eyes and the pounding headache he had. After awhile he managed to go back to sleep.

* * *

"Outta de way, McCoy!" It was Gambit's second day stuck in the infirmary and he was tired of being in bed. His eyes were still bandaged and he still couldn't see, but he wanted to atleast get up and move around a little. 

"Remy, knock it off." Rogue said, trying to calm him down. She had come to visit just in time to see the argument between him and Beast start. "Quit makin' such a fuss."

"Yes, Gambit, you still need to rest." Beast replied.

"Rest?" Gambit looked disgusted by the word. "All I been doin' for two days is rest!"

Beast let out a sigh as he realized he wasn't going to win this battle.

"Fine." He finally said. "You can go, but don't leave the mansion and you must be back here tonight."

"Don't worry, Hank." Rogue assured him. "Ah'll keep an eye on 'em."

* * *

"Well, well, well." Logan commented as Rogue and Gambit walked out of the front door of the mansion. "If it ain't the blind Cajun. Hank finally let you get outta bed or are ya breakin' doctors orders?" 

"He's only out for a little while." Rogue answered.

"Don' be rediculous, Chere." Gambit replied with an annoyed expression. "Gambit feelin' good as new."

"Oh, no you don't!" Rogue responded with authority in her voice. "Ah told Beast Ah'd get ya back by tonight and Ah plan to."

Gambit ignored her remark and walked out onto the mansions yard. He was glad to be out of the infirmary and took a deep breath of relief.

"Gambit!" He heard Jubilee's voice as she approached them. "You're up!"

"Course, p'tite." He said as he turned to face the direction he heard her voice come from. "You know not'in keep Gambit down for long."

"When do you get the bandages off your eyes?" She asked.

"Beast say maybe tomorrow." He answered.

"How's Storm?" Jubilee sounded concerned.

"She be alright, p'tite." Gambit answered after nobody else spoke up.

He actually didn't know how bad Storm's condition was. Beast allowed him to visit her, but she had been uncontious ever since they got her back to the mansion so he wasn't able to talk to her and he couldn't see so he had no clue how she was doing.

"Storm's tough." Logan added. "She'll be fine."

Logan sounded sure of himself even though he had doubts of his own. Beast was telling everybody not to worry, but he was the only one who actually knew the extent of her injuries.

"Nothin' ta worry about, Jubilee." Rogue replied. "She'll be back up and about in no time."

"I hope so." Jubilee still sounded concerned.

"How many mutants we get outta dat place de other night?" Gambit decided it was time to talk about something else. He hadn't heard any details about the mutants they saved and took this oppertunity to bring it up.

"Five all together." Logan answered. "It's a shame you got busted up before you had the chance ta take a few more a those jokers out."

"Gambit get another chance just as soon as his eyes workin' again." Gambit said with confidence.

"X-Men don't use their powers to settle personal vendettas." He heard Scott's voice nearby.

"I don't know..." Logan said. "I wouldn't mind a bit of payback myself."

"The Professor wants to see you." Scott told Gambit, ignoring Logan's comment.

"Gambit wanna see de professor too, but he can't." Gambit replied with a smile as he tapped his eyebrow with a finger.

"He's waiting inside." He could tell by Scott's voice that he wasn't emused by the joke and couldn't help but smile even more.

Rogue guided him into the mansion and took him to see Professor Xavier. After Gambit took a seat Rogue left them alone to talk.

"It's good to see you're up." Xavier started the conversation. "How are you feeling?"

"No complaints." Gambit answered as he slouched in his chair to get comfortable. "T'anks for askin'."

"Then your eyes are feeling better?" Xavier replied.

"Dey feel fine." Gambit knew there was a reason the Professor wanted to see him. They got along good enough, but they never just sat around and had friendly chats. He either wanted to ask him something or had something important to tell him. He was hoping it wasn't bad news regarding Storm. "You need somet'in?"

"Yes, actually." Xavier sounded positive. Gambit relaxed when he realized it didn't have anything to do with Storm. "I was hoping you could help one of the mutants we rescued from the Friends Of Humanity."

"Help?" Gambit raised an eyebrow as much as he could from under the bandage.

"Yes." Xavier continued. "One of the mutants posesses a power simular to yours. However, she is unable to control them and I was hoping you could teach her how to develope her abilities. I think she could learn from you."

"I don' know, Professor." Gambit was uncertain. "I don' t'ink I make much of a teacher. Maybe she be better off wit' someone else."

"The reason I'm asking you is because of your powers." Xavier replied. "I doubt anybody else would be able to help her as much as you. I fear if she doesn't learn to control them she may end up harming herself or others."

Gambit thought it over for a moment. He knew Professor Xavier would keep trying to pursuade him if he refused and decided he would rather just do it instead of having to deal with Xavier's attempts to convince him.

"Maybe it not be so bad, eh?" He said with a grin after he agreed.

"Good." Xavier replied. Gambit could tell if he was able to see him that he would see him smiling. "You can start as soon as your eyes have recovered."

After exchanging a few more words the conversation was over and Rogue came back into the room to guide Gambit out. He still wanted to get some fresh air so she took him back outside to spend some time outdoors before it was time for dinner.

* * *

She had been at the mansion for two days now and was begining to get more comfortable. Jubilee helped her adjust and settle in and it helped to have someone else around that was her age. She was getting to know everybody a little and even learned Logan wasn't as bad as he appeared to be on the surface. Dinner was being cooked in the kitchen and she couldn't wait for it to be ready. Before she arrived at the mansion it had been awhile since her last home-cooked meal. 

"Alice." Her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of Jubilee's voice. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." She answered as she looked over at Jubilee, who was sitting in the chair beside her.

"You look pretty spaced out." Jubilee replied.

"Just waiting for dinner." She answered.

"Don't worry, it's almost ready." Jean said after overhearing their conversation. She was in the kitchen finishing up the dinner and giving Scott the dishes to set the table.

"Smells good." Logan said after sniffing the air. "How much garlic you put on that stuff?"

"The perfect amount." Jean smiled as she started to dish up the food. "It's just right."

"Looks like we got here just in time." Rogue's voice caught the rooms attention as she walked in with Gambit.

"Smell like it too." Gambit added with a smile. "What we havin', Chere?"

"It's good to see you're feeling better, Gambit." Jean replied.

"Top a de world, Chere." He said, still smiling.

"Come on." Jubilee said to Alice as she stood up and pulled her up out of her chair. "Gambit, this is Alice. She's one of the mutants we saved from those FOH goons."

Alice recognized Gambit as soon as he walked into the room. His eyes were bandaged so she couldn't see them, but she remembered the unusual red on black that had startled her when she first saw them. She remembered waking up with a collar around her neck and her hands tied behind her back and being terrified by the sight of him before realizing he was trying to help her. She also remembered the guilt she felt when she heard the white haired woman and him had been injured while trying to rescue her. She hadn't gotten the chance to meet either of them yet and suddenly felt nervous as she was being introduced to him.

"Gambit pleased ta meet you, Alice." He held his hand out in front of him for her to shake. She hesitated a second, but finally reached out to it.

"Nice to meet you." She quietly said as she shook it.

"Good to hear you again, p'tite." He said as a grin appeared on his face. She was confused for a moment before she realized he must have recognized her voice.

"You too." She shyly replied.

"I see the two of you have met." Professor Xavier said as he entered the room, followed by Beast. "Alice is who you'll be helping with her powers, Gambit."

"See you den, p'tite." Gambit responded with a smile. Then he sniffed the air as Jean carried a dish of food passed him and set it on the table. "But I t'ink we best attend to dis dinner first, non?"

"Of course." Xavier replied. "It smells wonderful, Jean."

"Indeed." Beast added. "A meal fit for kings."

"Thank you." Jean was always happy to hear her meals get complimented.

"Y'all got that right." Rogue said as she guided Gambit to a seat at the table. "Ah'm starvin'."

"So let's quit yappin' and eat." Logan said, sitting down at a plate. "You wanna wait 'til it gets cold or what?"

* * *

The night was cold and the grass outside was already covered in frost. Gambit debated even going out, but decided he would rather freeze then sit in the infirmary for another night. Just like the other nights he spent in the infirmary bed he couldn't fall asleep and was tired of trying. He managed to get outside by feeling the walls as he made his way through the mansion and finally stepped out onto the yard. He felt the cold air hit his face and heard the grass crunch under his feet. He just stood and enjoyed the night for a moment before doing what he had set out to do. 

It took him longer than usual, but he got to the roof and took a seat. The climb took a little more effort, but that was to be expected when you can't see. He put his hands behind his head and leaned back, imagining he was looking up at the stars, and thought about getting the bandages off of his eyes the next day and seeing Storm, among other things. He stayed there for quite awhile before he realized he was begining to drift off. He knew if he was found asleep on the roof in the morning he would never hear the end of it from Beast so he got up and started for the edge of the roof to get down.

He wasn't too alert and was so tired now that even the bed in the infirmary sounded good. Then he took a step forward and was suddenly swept off his feet. He felt his foot fly right out from under him. If he was able to see he might have spotted the patch of ice he slipped on, but unfortunately he couldn't and was sent tumbling off the roof. He fell a distance until he found himself smashing through a tree. His attempt to grab a branch failed and he fell the rest of the way, landing on the ground with a loud thud. He clenched his jaw and cursed to himself in his head. Not because it hurt, but because he knew it was loud enough that it would attract some unwanted attention.

"I'm sure Hank doesn't look too kindly on his patients fallin' off roofs, Gumbo." Sure enough he heard Wolverine's voice approaching him.

"What you doin' out here?" Gambit asked with an annoyed expression as he climbed to his feet, feeling a slight pain in his hip.

"What are you?" Logan replied. "Beast ain't gonna like it if he finds ya out here."

"Relax, mon ami." Gambit couldn't see if he was dirty, but was sure he was and brushed himself off. "Gambit only his patient til mornin' anyway."

"Yeah, well I'd keep my roof divin' down until then." Logan's voice was thick with sarcasm.

"See you tomorrow, Wolverine." Gambit ignored his comment and blindly headed towards the mansion to go back inside. Logan smirked to himself when he noticed Gambit had a slight limp as he walked.

* * *

It was morning and Gambit's roof incident went unnoticed by anyone accept for Logan. His hip was a little soar, but not enough that he needed to limp anymore. He went to sleep as soon as he got back to his bed and got up as soon as the sun began to rise. Now he was sitting in the infirmary, waiting for Beast. It was time for the bandages to come off and he would finally be able to see again. 

"Aah, here we are." He heard Beast say after hearing him dig through his equipment. "Dim the lights if you will. His eyes may be sensitive at first."

"You got it." He heard Rogue answer. She had come to see him get the bandages taken off, along with the Professor.

"Here we are, my friend." Beast's voice was now coming from right beside him. "Hold still. This will only take a moment."

Gambit sat still while Beast cut the bandages down the side and it was just a minute before they were pulled off. Light flooded into his eyes as soon as he opened them and a bright wave of white forced them closed.

"Are you alright?" Rogue sounded worried.

"Fine, Chere." He answered, holding a hand up to shield his eyes from the light as he slowly opened them again. "Jus' a little bright is all."

"They just need time to adjust." Beast said, handing him a pair of sunglasses. "I suggest you wear these for a short time."

Gambit looked at Beast and took the glasses. His vision was blurred, but it wasn't taking long for it to clear up. He lowered his hand from his eyes as they came into focus. He had to squint when he looked up at the lights, but they didn't hurt.

"I t'ink I be alright, Beast." He said as he stood up and tossed the glasses back to him. "Dey not so bad. As long as I don' go starin' at de sun I be fine."

"Very well." Beast replied. "Just don't strain them too much and they'll be back to normal in a day or two."

Gambit rubbed his eyes and looked over at Professor Xavier, then at Rogue.

"Well, what have we here?" He said with a smirk. "You a sight for soar eyes, Chere."

"It's good to see you're back to your old self." Xavier said, raising an eyebrow. "Perhaps you'll be able to begin helping Alice sooner than anticipated."

"Name de time." He said as he walked over to them. "Gambit ready."

"Good." Xavier replied. "I'll let you know when we can schedule something."

Xavier turned around to leave the room and Gambit looked over at Rogue.

"Maybe Gambit take you out somewhere for all de help while he blind, eh?" He said with a smug smile.

"In your dreams, swamp rat." She replied, rolling her eyes and walking out of the room. Gambit smiled to himself and looked back at Beast.

"T'anks for de help, mon ami." He said, turning back around to follow Rogue out of the room. "Gambit owe you one."

Before he made it through the door he stopped after remembering something and his smile faded.

* * *

He didn't know what to expect as he followed Beast into the room. He felt a little relief when he saw her asleep and looking peaceful, though he knew there was nothing to be happy about. Storm still hadn't been awake since she was injured during the battle with the Friends Of Humanity and he was worried about her. As he got closer to the bed he saw that she had a bandage over her left eyebrow and her arm was in a sling. 

"Tell me what wrong wit' her." He said as he looked her over. "No more sayin' not ta worry, she be fine."

"She sustained injuries to her arm..." Beast paused before continuing. He could tell Gambit wasn't going to take no for an answer this time. "She also has two cracked ribs and several others are bruised."

"What about de bandage on her forehead?" Gambit asked, not looking away from her.

"She, uuh... suffered a blow to the head from the explosion." Beast answered. He started to say something else, but Gambit cut him off before he got the chance.

"How long it gonna be 'fore she get better?" He asked.

"I'm not exactly sure, but she is expected to make a full recovery." Beast replied. "She just needs time."

Gambit didn't say anything else and after a moment Beast left him alone with her. He sat down by her bed and spent some time in her room, thinking about her injuries and feeling a swell of rage when he pictured the FOH in his mind.

* * *


	3. Chapter Three

_(Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel.)_

* * *

Golden Slumbers

Chapter 3

* * *

Wolverine dove out of the way just as Sabertooth took a swing at him, narrowly missing his razor sharp claws. He quickly rolled to his feet and stabbed his adamantium claws into his chest. Sabertooth let out a cry of pain before his image changed and revealed that he was only a robot. Wolverine pulled his claws out and watched its lifeless body fall to the ground. Without warning he felt something wrap around his ankles and pull him to the ground. He hit the ground hard and looked down to see what it was and saw that a silver tentacle was wrapped around both of his ankles, holding his feet together. He let out a growl as he slashed at it and it released him. He jumped back up to his feet and got in position to fight, coming face to face with Omega Red.

"This is the Danger Room." Professor Xavier was up at the Danger Room's controls showing Alice how it worked. She was watching in amazement as Wolverine brawled with Omega Red down below.

"What if he gets hurt?" She asked as she continued to watch.

"We take precautions to ensure the safety of the team when they're training." Xavier replied. "We leave nothing to chance, we're very aware of the dangers it presents."

"Has anybody ever been?" She asked while Wolverine killed the Omega Red replica and ended the battle.

"There have been a few mishaps." Xavier reluctantly answered. "But the Danger Room is nothing to fear. It is the perfect place for you to learn how to control your abilities."

Professor Xavier pushed a button and the world surrounding Wolverine down below disappeared.

"What gives, Chuck?" Wolverine asked, looking up at them. "Why don't ya give me a challenge instead of these rookie programs? Step it up a notch."

"As you wish, Logan." Xavier replied, setting the Danger Room difficulty to a higher level.

Another world appeared around Wolverine and he got in postition, waiting for another attack. Nothing happened for a moment and he started to get impatient.

"What gives, I--" Before he could finish the ground started to shake. Apocalypse appeared right underneath him, errupting from the ground. Wolverine jumped out of the way and smiled. "Now that's more like it."

Xavier and Alice watched as the duel began.

"The Danger Room allows mutants such as yourself to freely develope their powers in an environment in which no one will be harmed." Xavier continued. "It allows us to control everything and anything you need to practice with."

"You'll learn to trust it just like the rest of us." They both turned to the door as Cyclops walked in. "We all have our doubts at first, but it doesn't take long to get used to it."

"Yes, Scott was one of the first to train in it." Xavier added. "You can begin your training tomorrow. Do you have any questions?"

"No, I think I'm ready." Alice sounded uncertain as she spoke.

"Very well." Xavier replied. They looked back down to see how Wolverine was doing with the Apocalypse simulation and watched as he continued to fight.

* * *

"How de food, Chere?" Gambit asked with a grin. He talked Rogue into going out for dinner instead of eating at the mansion to celebrate getting his eyesight back. He had even convinced her to try a new Cajun restaraunt he had found a while back. "Didn' I tell you it de best in town?"

"Yeah, it's great." Rogue's answer wasn't very convincing due to the face she was making as she tasted it.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he took another bite. "You don' like it?"

"It's not that ah don't like it..." Rogue's eyes were begining to water. "It's just a little too spicy."

"No such t'ing, Chere." He replied. "But Gambit t'ink maybe dis not your food of choice, eh?"

"Ah might like it if Ah could taste it." She said, taking a drink of water.

"You take away de spice and it not Cajun anymore." Gambit smiled as he continued to eat his dinner. "I make it up to you, Chere. Next time we eat wherever you want."

When the headlights of a car passing by flashed in Gambit's eyes he quickly closed them. They were still sensitive and the bright light caused a sharp pain.

"You okay, Remy?" Rogue got concerned when she noticed his reaction. "Do your eyes hurt?"

"Course not, Chere." He said, ignoring the burning he now felt in them. "Car lights be too bright for anybody, non?"

Rogue was getting ready to say something else when she was interrupted by a beeping noise. She looked down at the communicator she had hooked on her belt and realized somebody from the mansion was trying to contact them.

"Can't we ever get one night of peace and quiet?" She asked out loud to herself as she answered the call.

It was Jean and she had good news. Storm was awake. They both rushed back to Rogue's car as fast as they could, putting their dinner on hold.

* * *

"How does your head feel?" Beast asked as he looked over Storm.

"I feel fine, Hank." She answered with a smile before rubbing her head. "Just a slight headache."

Beast continued checking her to make sure she was alright while she talked with Jean and Cyclops.

"Three days?" She was shocked to hear how long she had been uncontious.

"We were getting worried." Jean replied. "It's good to see you're back with us again."

"Thank you, Jean." She said as Beast finished inspecting her. "It's good to be back."

"All signs are looking good." Beast sounded positive. "Are you feeling any pain in your ribs?"

"Some." Storm answered. "But it is nothing I can't bare."

"And your arm?" He asked.

"It is a little soar." She replied, looking down at the sling supporting her arm. "Though right now I am more hungry than anything else."

"Of course..." Cyclops turned around to leave the room. "I'll get you something to eat."

"Thank you, Scott." Storm smiled as he walked out. She was starving. She didn't even care what he got her, she just needed something to eat.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" Jean asked.

"I remember the fight with the Friends Of Humanity." Storm thought to herself. She tried to remember exactly what happened, but couldn't recall the details. "The last thing I remember is helping Wolverine and Gambit keep them at bay while you escaped with the prisoners."

"A fragment grenade exploded near you." Beast spoke up. "You and Gambit were both hit by it."

"Gambit?" Storm looked worried. "Is he alright?"

"Oh, yes, he's fine." He answered. "His injuries have already been attended to."

"Good." She looked satisfied by his answer. "And what of the hostages?"

"All safe and well." Jean replied with a smile. "One of them is even staying with us for awhile."

"That is good news." Storm leaned back in her bed to relax.

Just then Rogue and Gambit came through the door and hurried into the room. The moment Gambit saw her awake a great weight was lifted from his shoulders and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Ah can't believe it!" Rogue exclaimed as she rushed up to her bed. "We got here as fast as we could. You know, you put us through quite a scare, sugah."

"I'm sorry for having worried you, Rogue." Storm replied. Then she looked over at Gambit as he approached her bed. "I'm glad to see you are well, my friend."

"Don' worry 'bout me, Stormy." He smiled, trying to cover up the guilt he was still feeling from failing to save her from the attack that led to her current situation. The strain of his worrying had eased after seeing her awake, but in his head he was still blaming himself. "You worry 'bout yourself, hear? How you feel?"

"I feel fine, Gambit." She could tell there was something bothering him by the look in his eyes. "You look as if something is troubling you..."

"Jus' glad you're back is all." He said, putting on his best poker face.

"We've all missed you around here." Jean added.

"Yes, we have." Professor Xavier said as he entered the room. "I'm glad we have you back. Do you need anything?"

"Scott is getting me something to eat as we speak." Storm answered.

They all talked amongst themselves until Scott returned with a sandwich and then ended their conversations, leaving Storm to eat and get some much needed rest.

* * *

It was finally time. She got nervous as the time for her first training session grew near. She didn't quite know what to expect from the training or from her new teacher. He saved her life and they had a brief introduction to eachother, but she still had no clue as to what kind of person he was. Not to mention when she was introduced to him he was blind, so meeting him now would actually be like meeting him for the first time again. He seemed like a nice enough guy, she thought to herself, but she still didn't know anything about him. She tried to stop thinking about it and relax, but couldn't and was on edge the entire time she stood in the Danger Room with the Professor.

"Alice, relax..." Professor Xavier assured her, picking up on her thoughts. "There is no reason to be nervous."

She gave him a forced smile through her nerves and continued to wait. Time passed and soon it was nearly ten minutes passed the time the session was scheduled to begin. Xavier tapped his fingers on his chair and was begining to get impatient while Alice got even more nervous and tense, thinking that perhaps something might be wrong. She was just begining to get used to being at the mansion and still felt like she was a burden at times.

Just as Professor Xavier was getting ready to send a telepathic message to fetch her teacher the doors to the Danger Room slid open. They both looked over towards them as the man they were waiting for casually drifted in with a smile.

"Sorry I late, Professor." Gambit said, looking at Xavier and then at Alice. "Afternoon, p'tite."

She instantly remembered his red on black eyes as they glanced over at her. Xavier noticed from her shy expression that she was still nervous and wasn't going to say anything back and decided to break the silence before she got too uncomfortable.

"I believe the two of you have still not been properly introduced..." Xavier spoke up. "Alice this is Gambit, Gambit this is Alice."

"Nice ta see you again, p'tite." Gambit smiled as he offered his hand and Alice shyly smiled back, reaching out to shake it.

They were finally getting introduced when they could both see eachother. She was caught off guard when he bowed his head and kissed the back of her hand, his grin widening at her look of surprise. Then he turned to the Professor.

"So what you got in mind today?" He asked, not knowing exactly what Xavier had planned for the lesson.

"I believe it would be best to start off with a simple power evaluation." Xavier answered. "You must get familiar with Alice's abilities before you will be able to help her with them. If that's alright with you, of course?"

He directed the question towards Alice and she agreed. After informing them that he would be observing from the control room he left them alone to begin. Gambit didn't exactly know where to start and decided to break the ice with some casual conversation.

"Gambit t'ink you never have a teacher like him before, non?" He said with a smug smile. "Don' worry, it not gonna be so bad. You trust Gambit, he teach you some t'ings."

Alice was surprised at how relaxed he seemed to be. She didn't have any idea what to expect, but it certantly wasn't this. He wasn't at all intense like the Professor. He was very casual and she didn't suspect he would be that strict of a teacher. Her thoughts were interrupted when a loud voice filled the room.

"We'll begin with a simulated environment that will be safe to test your powers in." Xavier's voice came through the speakers as he watched over them from the Danger Room controls. Alice was startled until she looked up and saw him sitting at the window. "You may begin whenever you're ready."

Suddenly trees and bushes appeared out of nowhere and the large, empty room became a jungle. Alice looked around in amazement. She had been shown the Danger Room from above, but this was the first time she was actually inside to see it for herself and it was a completely different experience.

"Maybe you show Gambit what you can do, eh?" Gambit smiled as he watched her look around in awe.

She snapped out of her deep focus on the surrounding jungle and looked over at him. He crossed his arms and shifted his weight, casually leaning against a tree while he continued to smile and patiently wait.

"I don't..." Alice didn't know what to say or do and looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I get you started." Gambit moved away from the tree and pulled a card out. "You charge t'ings, right?"

Alice just nodded and waited for him to continue. He held the card up in front of him and charged it, tossing it towards the tree and blowing it in half. Alice watched in shock as the top half of it fell to the ground and landed with a loud crash. Gambit walked over to her as he pulled out another card.

"Now you try." He said, holding it out for her to take. She looked at the now destroyed tree for another moment before turning back to him.

"I can't do that." She finally answered.

"Never know if you don' try." He said, still offering the card. She hesitated before she took it. "Relax, p'tite. Not'in ta worry 'bout in here. Now you jus' give dat a charge an' let it go."

"I can't control it." She replied, reluctant to try. "I can't keep it from blowing up when I don't want it to."

"Hmm..." Gambit tapped a finger on his chin as he thought to himself. He didn't know where to go from here and wasn't coming up with any ideas.

"Alice's powers are not exact to yours, Gambit." They heard Xavier's voice explain over the speakers. "She doesn't have to hold an object to charge it. She can do so just by focusing her mind. If she gives an object her full attention she can create a kinetic charge with just a look."

"No kiddin'?" Gambit sounded interested as he turned back to Alice. "Dat one convenient power ta have, non?"

"Maybe if I knew how to use it." Alice replied.

Gambit could detect frustration in her voice and gave her a curious look. She was in fact frustrated. She was angry with herself because she had not yet learned how to control them herself.

"Be patient, p'tite." Gambit smiled as he took the card back from her and tossed it on the ground a short distance away. He didn't charge it, but dropped it there for her. "Try now. No harm when it dat far away."

She looked down at the card and then back at Gambit. He urged her to charge it so she turned back, looking down and focusing on it. Professor Xavier and Gambit both watched with interest as the card began to glow. Xavier was especially fastenated, looking on from the Danger Room controls. He noticed Alice was having to focus a great deal to create the charge. The card slowly grew brighter until it finally exploded and blew a large hole in the ground. Alice grabbed her head as the room began to spin and felt her legs give out. Then she felt something catch her before she hit the ground and her eyes shot open.

"What?!" She snapped back into reality and realized what had happened.

She was now looking up at Gambit, who had caught her and was helping her back to her feet. Then she saw that his duster was begining to glow and he looked down, realizing the same thing. She quickly pushed away from him and got free from his grasp, tripping and stumbling back to the ground. Gambit felt the heat against him that was coming from his duster and quickly pulled it off, throwing it as fast as he could. A few feet away in the air it exploded. The force from the explosion nearly knocked him off balance, but he managed to stay standing.

"What happened?!" Xavier's voice exclaimed from the speakers as the jungle around them vanished and they were once again in a large, empty room. "Are you both alright?!"

"I'm sorry!" Alice cried out as she held her head.

As the pain started to fade she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to face Gambit. He helped her get back to her feet and she looked over at the Danger Room doors just as Professor Xavier rushed in, which told her she had been on the ground long enough for him to get down there from the control room.

"Is anybody injured?" Xavier asked as he approached them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." Alice was still a little dizzy and Gambit was helping her keep her balance.

"What happened?" Xavier asked after he saw neither of them had been hurt by the explosion.

"I couldn't help it, I couldn't control..." Alice trailed off.

"Alice, what happened?" Xavier repeated himself.

"My mind, I couldn't control my powers." She replied, still feeling a slight pain in her head.

Gambit cautiously let go of her as she regained her balance, carefully making sure she wouldn't lose it again and fall over.

"Perhaps we should continue tomorrow." Xavier suggested, noticing Alice was obviously shaken by the incident.

* * *

The cold air felt good when it hit his face. He had stepped out to have a cigar, seeing as how he could never get away with smoking inside. He stuck it in his mouth and felt around his jacket pockets for his lighter. He let out an aggravated growl when he didn't find it and realized he must have left it inside. Just as he turned around to head back in he caught a familiar scent.

"Climbin' trees, Cajun?" Logan looked up at the tree the scent was coming from and spotted the source. Gambit was sitting in it, casually leaning back and relaxing.

"Jus' enjoyin' de night, mon ami." Gambit replied, not looking away from the sky to acknowledge Logan's presence.

"Heard your first day a trainin' the girl didn't go over all that well." Logan had a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he stuck the cigar back in his mouth and leaned against the wall of the mansion.

"Coulda' gone better." Gambit answered.

Logan turned around when the door to the mansion opened and Jean stepped out.

"Hey, Red." He said, still holding the cigar between his teeth.

"Hi, Logan." She greeted him with a warm smile. "Have you seen Remy around?"

"Right here, Chere." Gambit answered before Logan had a chance to and dropped down from the tree.

"The Professor wants to see you." She replied.

"Guessed as much." He said as he walked over to join them. "Figure he'd call before de night through."

"Have fun." Logan's remark was full of sarcasm. Gambit shot him a smug smile as he walked passed him to go inside.

"You gonna smoke dat t'ing or you jus' like how you look wit' it in your mouth?" He said, pointing at the cigar and giving the tip of it a quick charge with his finger.

"Thanks for the light, Gumbo." Logan replied as he took a puff from his now burning cigar and proceeded to have a conversation with Jean.

* * *

Gambit was heading down the hall to find Professor Xavier. He knew the Professor would want to schedule the session for the next day in advance, which was why he didn't venture up to the roof and stayed where he would be easy to find. Not like Xavier or Jean couldn't just send him a telepathic message, but why bother with the hastle. He didn't like people snooping around in his head anyway.

"Come in." He heard Xavier's voice call from the other side of the door after he knocked. Gambit stepped into his office, where the Professor was waiting for him. "I assume you know why I've called you in?"

"Qui." Gambit answered, taking a seat in front of his desk.

"Todays events were less than encouraging, I'm afraid." Xavier continued. "Alice seems to have very little control over her powers. I had anticipated we might encounter some problems, but not to this degree. She put you both at risk today, her powers are highly unstable."

"Don' sweat it, Professor." Gambit assured him. "I get her all figured out in no time. Jus' had a rough first day, dat's all."

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Xavier agreed. "Perhaps tomorrow we will have more luck."

"Don' worry." Gambit replied with a smug smile as he tapped his head. "Gambit got himself an idea."

* * *


	4. Chapter Four

_(Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel.)_

* * *

Golden Slumbers

Chapter 4

* * *

Alice and Professor Xavier watched the chaos as it took place just below them. Through the glass they were safely watching the entire battle while it was happening. As soon as the team finished with their simulation it would be time for Alice's second training session in the Danger Room and she was getting a little nervous again.

Over the time she had been staying at the mansion she had gotten to know Jubilee the best and this was the first time she saw her use her fighting skills. She couldn't help but be impressed by how well her friend could fight and how much control she had over her powers. She hoped maybe her time with the X-Men would teach her the same things.

Suddenly she let out a gasp when she saw a robotic figure charge towards Jubilee from behind, preparing to attack. Just as it reached her Alice spotted a glowing card as it flew threw the air and hit it, blowing it to pieces. She watched her new teacher drop down as if out of nowhere and land next to Jubilee with a cocky grin on his face. She couldn't tell what they were saying in their conversation, but could see that Jubilee was annoyed and arguing while Gambit continued to smile, possibly even more due to her annoyance.

Then her attention was caught by Wolverine's body as it was sent flying through the air. She winced when he slammed into a wall and dropped to the ground, but it didn't take him long to get back to his feet and get his revenge on the robot that had knocked him there. The blow only seemed to fuel his rage as he slashed through it, leaving shreds of metal on the ground in front of him.

Then she looked in another direction when the sound of explosions errupted all around Cyclops, who quickly dodged them and took out the last robot of the simulation with a powerful blast from his visor. Xavier was satisfied and pressed a button in front of him, causing the destroyed robots and surrounding world to disappear.

"Good job, that will be all for now." Xavier spoke to the team through the intercom before turning his attention to Alice. "Shall we pick up where we left off yesterday?"

"Sure..." Alice replied, not reassured by Xavier's positive smile.

She was still humiliated by what happened last time they tried and almost blowing up her teacher was no way to start, even though he didn't seem to mind it too much.

* * *

Alice nervously waited outside the Danger Room doors with the Professor while the team walked out. Gambit and Jubilee were the last to come out and Jubilee appeared to be complaining to him. He just grinned to himself as he listened and casually ran a card through his fingers in one of his hands.

"Is there a problem?" Xavier asked with a slight smirk. It wasn't a rare occurance that Jubilee would go on one of her complaining rampages with Gambit.

"I was doing perfectly fine in there and then he had to jump in." Jubilee answered, crossing her arms in a fit. "I can take care of myself."

"Now, now, Jubilee." Xavier replied. "Every teammate is meant to look out for one another, that is the whole purpose of the exercises."

"Besides..." Gambit added as he slipped the card in his hand into his duster. "If it not for Gambit you be cooked by now, non?"

Jubilee just huffed at his remark and stomped away. Alice watched her storm off and then looked back over at Gambit, who was clearly emused by her little tantrum.

"Well, let us get started." Xavier said before turning to head back for the control room.

"Right dis way." Gambit slightly bowed and held his arms out, gesturing for her to lead the way into the Danger Room. She shyly smiled and started in, Gambit following close behind.

"Sorry about yesterday." Alice apologized again. She had done it plenty of times before, but was still feeling imberissed about it.

"Yesterday?" Gambit curiously asked.

"Blowing up your jacket..." She managed to answer after a short hesitation.

"No worries, p'tite." Gambit replied as if he had just remembered. "Gambit got plenty more where dat come from."

Alice was still nervous, but the tension she was feeling eased after she realized he wasn't thinking about the day before nearly as much as she was. He walked to the center of the room and she joined him, preparing for whatever was going to take place during this training session. They looked up towards the control room and waited for Professor Xavier to get situated and once he was ready he started a program for them to practice in. Once again they found themselves in the middle of a jungle as it faded into exhistance and surrounded them. Now it was time for Gambit to give his idea a try. When he was called to Xavier's office to schedule the session he had explained a theory he came up with. Now it was time to see if it would work.

"We try somet'in different today, p'tite." Gambit said as he pulled a card out and tossed it onto the ground. Then he took a few steps away from it and turned to her. "When you try an' charge it dis time, you try not ta focus too much, eh?"

"What do you mean?" Alice asked with a puzzled expression.

"Gambit notice how much you focus yesterday." He answered. "Maybe you try an' relax a bit an' you get it, non?"

"Huh?" Alice was still confused.

"You see, Alice..." Xavier began to explain through the Danger Room's speakers. "When Gambit charges an object he does it more out of reflex than out of concentration. Perhaps if you strain your mind less you will learn to use it out of reflex as well."

Alice didn't understand what they were trying to say. She didn't know any other way of charging something other than focusing as hard as she could. Gambit gave her a reassuring look before pulling out another card.

"First we charge de card..." Gambit said while the card began to glow. "Den we blow it up."

He threw the card straight up and it exploded a safe distance above them. Alice flintched when it went off and watched the smoke in the air clear before looking back over at him.

"You wanna give it a try, p'tite?" He asked, nodding towards the card on the ground.

Alice felt even more nervous, hoping not to have a repeat of the day before, but reluctantly agreed.

* * *

Rogue and Jean went to pay Storm a visit as soon as they finished in the Danger Room. Even when she was still uncontious it wasn't very often Storm was without a visitor at her side.

"How ya feelin', gal?" Rogue asked as they walked up to her bed.

"Much better, thank you." Storm greeted them with a smile.

She actually was feeling a lot better. In fact, she almost felt like she would be able to get up and move around before too long.

"Her recovery is moving along at a very steady pace." Jean and Rogue hadn't even seen Beast until he spoke up. He was busy with something on a nearby computer. "Quite remarkable, actually. She'll be good as new in no time at all."

"That's good to hear." Jean said, turning her attention back to Storm. "We look forward to having you back on the team."

"Well, I look forward to coming back." Storm replied. "It shouldn't be much longer."

They stayed and talked for nearly an hour before Storm started to get tired and began to drift off. Beast told them it was the effects of the medication she was on and that they should continue their conversation at a later time when she was feeling better, so they left. It was only a matter of minutes before she was asleep and Beast continued to occupy his time by typing away at his computer.

* * *

Gambit's theory seemed to be working. They had been in the Danger Room for just over an hour and they were making some progress. It had taken some work, but after several attemps Alice had finally managed to charge a card without even getting dizzy, although she still couldn't control when it would explode. Her nervousness was now replaced with anticipation. She was already able to control her powers more than she had ever been able to in the past and it was only after an hour of practicing. There were many close calls from unexpected explosions, but they had come a long way in a short period of time. Near the begining she nearly passed out when attempting to charge one of Gambit's cards, but she was urged to keep trying and she did. Now she was glad she did. At first she didn't understand what they meant when they told her not to focus so hard and learn to use it as a reflex rather than creating a charge through deep thought, but she was quickly learning. She was even getting comfortable around Gambit and was begining to relax while they trained. However, she wasn't prepared for what was coming next. Gambit held a card up in front of him and told her to charge it.

"In your hand?" Alice was clearly shocked by his request.

"Come on, p'tite, you can do it." He answered with a smug smile. "Gambit trust you."

"But I can't control the charge." She pleaded, not wanting to accidently blow his hand off. "What if I--"

"It be fine, p'tite." Gambit interrupted before she could finish. "Don' worry."

Alice looked up towards the control room, hoping Professor Xavier wouldn't approve of the idea, but he just continued to watch with great interest. She sighed to herself and turned back to Gambit.

"You don' want me ta give you a F, non?" He smiled as he made his joke, but it didn't ease the tension Alice was feeling.

She was afraid she would lose control and the card would explode in his hand, but he didn't seem to be backing down and she realized she was going to have to try. She sighed again as she prepared to charge the card. She just hoped she was as good as he thought she was at controlling her powers. She began to focus, but not too much, just as much as she had before when she successfully charged the other cards. She had a better idea of how to use her abilities without as much thought and act more out of reflex now.

Gambit was satisfied when the card in his hand started to glow and smiled as he watched the charge get stronger and stronger. After a short wait he threw it and it hit its target, blowing a large bolder to pieces. They watched as pieces of rock flew through the air and then dropped back to the ground, spreading across a wide range of the jungle and leaving a pile of rubble where the bolder had been. Alice looked at what remained of the bolder and then turned back to face Gambit.

"Knew you could do it, p'tite." He said as he crossed his arms.

Alice felt a new sense of confidence within herself. She had learned a lot in just this one lesson. She for once felt as if she might actually get control of her powers. Of course, it would still take some work, but she was in a much better position to get a hold of them now. It was the first time since they developed that she felt like she had any control over them at all.

* * *

"Bullseye!" Jubilee proclaimed after her dart struck directly in the middle of the dart board. She had talked Logan into playing a game with her while the others finished the pizza Cyclops had brought home for dinner.

"Gettin' too cocky, kid." Logan replied, tossing a dart and striking the same spot as Jubilee. "You're beginin' ta sound like the Cajun."

If Gambit was in the room he would no doubt comment on Logan's remark, but he was off visiting Storm in the infirmary. Alice was watching their game while she finished off her last piece of pizza. She was sitting at the table just behind them with Jean, Scott and Rogue. She watched as Jubilee threw her next dart and let out a frustrated moan when it didn't land as accurately as the one before. Logan released his last dart and once again hit the center of the board, winning the game.

"Aww, man." Jubilee complained after her loss. "You just got lucky."

"Don't feel too bad." Logan boasted as he walked towards the couch to sit down. "We can't all be winners."

Jubilee responded by rolling her eyes and then looked over at Alice.

"Oh, good, you're done." She said after noticing she had finished her last piece of pizza. "Come play a game."

Alice agreed and got up to play. She was starting to feel at home at the mansion. She was getting comfortable with everybody and felt as if she was getting settled in. Before now she would have been too shy to get up and play a game of darts in front of so many people, but now she didn't mind. It just seemed like she was with her friends. There were still times that she felt a little out of place, but not nearly as often as before.

They started their game while the others sat at the table and talked amongst themselves, not including Logan who had his feet propped up on the coffee table and was now searching for something to watch on TV. Suddenly everything was interrupted when Xavier entered the room. They could all read his face and knew something was wrong.

"Professor, what's wrong?" Jean was the first to ask.

"I'm afraid it's Storm..." He answered.

* * *

Gambit held her hand while Beast was rushing to administer more tests. Storm wouldn't wake up. Beast couldn't find anything that would cause her to fall into her current state and was determined to find the reason this had happened as soon as possible. Gambit held her hand tighter as a flood of thoughts flashed through his mind. He was worried and nervous, hoping she would wake back up any minute. He was stressed and on edge, still blaming himself for not helping her in time. The guilt had never stopped, but even more was the rage that was consuming him. He felt anger more than anything else. He knew who was really to blame. He knew who was responsible for her condition and he knew exactly where to find them. Not only did he know where to find them, he planned on finding them very soon. He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the rest of the team come into the room.

"What's goin' on?" Fear was evident in Rogue's voice when she asked. Beast was busy running tests and didn't hear her until she asked a second time, more impatient than before.

"I haven't seemed to have found the cause yet." He answered, continuing to work. "We can't seem to wake her up, she's in a very deep sleep."

"You mean like a coma?!" Rogue exclaimed.

"I am not for sure yet." Beast never looked up from the testing he was in the middle of. "We will know soon."

Logan let out an angry growl as he extended his adamantium claws and stabbed them into the wall. Alice was shocked to see his display of anger, but everybody else had seen it happen plenty of times before.

"Logan!" Scott scolded him. "Knock it off, you're not making the situation any better!"

"The only thing that would make this any better would be ta use these on the FOH!" Logan held up his claws as he made the statement. He clearly had the same thing in mind as Gambit.

"Just knock it off!" Scott ordered. Logan growled and stormed out of the room, leaving the others to watch Beast work on an uncontious Storm. Beast continued for another minute before looking up at the occupants of the room.

"I'm afraid I'll need to ask you to vacate the premises." He announced. "I need space, it's too crowded in here."

Even though they were all worried they understood and began to exit the room. Gambit held Storm's hand for another moment before he got up to follow the others, leaving Beast and Xavier to attend to her. When he stepped out of the room he pushed through everybody waiting outside and started down the hall.

"Where are you going?" He heard Scott demand from behind, obviously still mad from his encounter with Logan. "Gambit!"

Jean put a hand on Scott's shoulder to calm him while Gambit continued to ignore him and walked around the corner, disappearing from their sight.

* * *

Gambit stepped out of the mansion with one thing on his mind. The Friends Of Humanity. His steps grew faster as he found himself thinking about them. He didn't want to waste any more time.

"Where you goin'?" He heard a voice coming his way and turned to face a still very angry Logan.

"Mind your business, mon ami." Gambit quickly answered and continued on his way. He was stopped when he felt Logan grab him by the arm.

"If you're goin' where I think you're goin' I'm comin' along." Logan growled. "I ain't sittin' on my hands, Cajun!"

"And where you t'ink I'm goin'?" Gambit asked, pulling his arm out of Logan's grip.

"I think you plan on payin' the FOH a little visit." Logan declared. "And if you're not, I still am."

Logan walked away and started towards the direction of the garage. Gambit watched him for a second before stopping him.

"We get dere faster if we take your jeep, non?" He finally replied.

* * *

They stayed hidden in the shadows as they moved, undetected by the many guards standing outside the building. It appeared as if the Friends Of Humanity had bumped up their security after the attack against them a few days earlier, but that didn't make any difference. Gambit and Wolverine had a plan. They watched a group of armed guards smoke cigarettes as they stood on patrol, watching over one of the doors that led into the building. Gambit kept his eyes on them while Wolverine crept around for an ambush. He patiently waited for Logan to get in place, counting in his head as he prepared to make his move. When he felt he had waited long enough he walked forward, stepping into the light and revealing his position. He smiled when the guards spotted him and began to point their guns in his direction, just as he had hoped they would. Before any of them were able to pull the trigger they were attacked from the side as Wolverine quickly sprung into action. He effortlessly took them out with only a few moves and Gambit rushed over to help drag them into the dark so they wouldn't be found by any of the other guards posted outside. Then it was time for Gambit to make the next move and he looked up towards the roof. He didn't have Rogue to fly him up this time so he jumped onto a nearby dumpster, springing straight up off of it and grabbing onto the fire escape just above. He began climbing without wasting any time or making a sound, reaching the roof within seconds and looking up to see if anybody was there. There was a guard on patrol and Gambit pulled himself up after seeing that his back was turned to him. It was the perfect oppertunity to strike.

The moment his feet landed on the surface of the roof he took off towards the guard in a full run, the lightness of his steps making no sound as he came up from behind. He pulled his staff out and extended it to its full length, knocking the man out cold before he even realized he was there. Then he cautiously moved towards the door on the roof. As he started down the stairs and into the building he thought about what happened last time he was there. He knew this time things would be very different.

When he reached the door at the bottom of the stairs he slowly cracked it open to peak through. He saw that Wolverine hadn't finished the next part of their plan so he stood and waited, staying hidden behind the door. He remained there for nearly five minutes before he finally got his cue. The lights flickered and a moment later everything was dark. He figured Wolverine must have wanted to make sure he gave him enough time before he cut the power. Either that or he ran into some trouble that he had to take care of first. Now it was time for Gambit to move in and he started to go through the door when he heard a commotion in the hall. He could hear that it was men rushing down the hall and considered waiting for them to pass by, but instead gripped his staff and dashed through the door. He came face to face with several FOH members carrying flashlights. They reached for their guns, but he rushed towards them, quickly taking them out one by one before they were able to react. He checked both ends of the hall to see if aybody else was coming before he went on the move again. After he crept a short distance he looked back to make sure nobody was coming up behind him, but all he saw were the bodies he left on the floor and their still shining flashlights on the ground beside them. Once he got to the corner of the hall he glanced around it. The coast was clear so he kept going.

He continued until he found the stairs to go down to the next floor. The elevators weren't working since the power was out, but he knew he could remain stealth better if he used the stairs anyway. He pulled the door open and listened for the footsteps of anybody using them, but there weren't any. Then he cautiously made his way down them, not running into anybody on his way. He finally reached the next floor and put his ear up to the door to hear if anything was going on on the other side. He could hear talking. It sounded like a casual conversation so he knew they thought they were just having a power outage and had no idea what was really going on. It was only a few seconds before the conversation was over and he heard them walk away. After it was silent for a minute he swung the door open and rushed through it, ready to strike with his staff. He wasn't surprised to find the hall empty, but he wanted to be sure. He eased his grip and looked around.

He knew what he was looking for, but didn't know exactly where it was. It was up to him now. Wolverine had done his part and was most likely a safe distance from the building by now, waiting for him to finish the job. He slowly made his way down the hall, checking each door as he went. Then his search was interrupted when he heard a door open just ahead of him. Two men walked through it and spotted him immediately. They were too far away for him to use his staff and they already had their weapons drawn.

They pointed their guns in his direction and he tossed his staff aside, pulling cards out as he dodged the shots fired at him. He threw the cards while avoiding the gunfire and they struck the ground and walls around the men, exploding on impact. The two men were left lifeless on the ground, covered in pieces of the hallway. He knew the noise must have been heard by everybody in the building and that he no longer had the element of surprise. He continued down the hall, much faster than before, and came to an abrupt hault when he saw what room the men had been leaving. It was the room he had been looking for. He walked into it and looked at the dials and pipes leading from the buildings gas supply. The search was over and it was time to do what he had set out to do.

He pulled a card out and tossed it at a nearby wall, blowing a hole through it. Then he rushed over to it and looked down at the ground below. He got a quick look at where he would be dropping to and then quickly got back to the gas lines. He held both hand out in front of him, charging the area surrounding them. He held them there until the charge gained its full strength and then pulled them back, knowing he needed to hurry. He turned towards the door just as a group of armed FOH members arrived to investigate the noise. Without hesitating he dashed for the hole he had blown in the wall, jumping through it as gunfire flew after him. He safely avoided getting hit and dropped to the ground outside. The drop was farther than he thought and he felt a slight pain in his heels when he landed, but ignored it and took off running at full speed. He knew his time was limited. Within a matter of seconds there was a thunderous explosion that filled the air and shook the ground beneath him. The force was so powerful that it knocked him off balance and he hit the pavement, landing hard on his shoulder.

Everything continued to rumble as the building errupted and made the night look almost as if it were day, the explosion lighting the entire block. He covered his head while debree from the building fell from the sky and landed out in the street. He kept it covered until the shaking stopped and the sound quieted some. He looked up and then back at the building. What was left of it was now collapsing to the ground and a thick cloud of smoke floated up from it, flames still burning bright. It almost looked foggy through all the smoke and dust that was in the air. Then he heard footsteps walking towards him, the scattered bits of the building that were blown into the road crumbling under them as they moved closer.

"Nice firework show, Gumbo." Wolverine commented as he approached, taking a look at what remained of the building. "Think they'll be outta commission for awhile."

Gambit stood up and brushed himself off, looking around at the destruction. Then they heard the sound of sirens off in the distance. "We gonna have company soon, non?"

They decided it was time to go and headed back for Logan's jeep.

* * *


	5. Chapter Five

_(Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel.)_

* * *

Golden Slumbers

Chapter 5

* * *

Gambit and Wolverine were still covered with dust when they entered the mansion. Once inside they went their seperate ways, both of them hoping to avoid being confronted or questioned. The others would surely be wondering where they got off to and why they were both covered head to toe in dust.

Gambit started for his room. He planned on visiting Storm after he got cleaned up a little. Just as he reached the stairs his attention was caught by Cyclops. He sighed to himself as Scott angrily marched towards him, looking like he had something on his mind.

"Where have you been?!" He almost shouted when he spoke.

"I don' see how dat's any business a yours." Gambit replied, ignoring his angry glare and starting up the stairs.

"Don't walk away from me!" Now he was shouting. It was enough to make Gambit stop and feel a swell of anger himself, but he simply turned to face him and continued to act casual. "I want to know where you and Logan have been!"

"We been out." Gambit answered before turning away and taking another step up the stairs.

This time Cyclops grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around to face him.

"Tell me right--" He was interrupted when Gambit's fist connected with his jaw, knocking him off his feet.

"Gambit!" Jean came into the room just in time to witness the assault. She ran over to them and knelt down next to Scott. "What's going on here?"

"Ask your hubby, Chere." Gambit replied. "He got a problem wit' stickin' his nose where it don' belong. Maybe he mind his own business next time..."

Then he turned and made his way upstairs, leaving Jean and Scott by themselves.

* * *

"Did anyone see Cyke?" Jubilee didn't ask anyone in particular.

It was early in the morning and she sat at the kitchen counter with Alice while they finished their bowls of cereal. Rogue was rumaging through the cabinets to find something to eat and Beast had finally surfaced from the infirmary to have a full meal for the first time in days.

"Not since last night." Rogue answered, finally settling for a muffin after not finding anything else that looked good.

"Why do you ask?" Beast asked as he watched over the bacon he was cooking on the stove. The smell made him realize how hungry he really was.

Before Jubilee could answer Logan walked into the kitchen, sniffing the air.

"You makin' enough for two?" He asked, walking over to take a look over Beast's shoulder.

"I'm afraid not, but I can put more on." Beast replied.

"Nah, forget about it." Logan dismissed the idea. "I was just on my way out anyway."

"Where are you off to?" Rogue asked.

"I believe the Professor would like a word with you first." Beast cut in before Logan could answer.

"For what?" He asked, even though he already had a good idea of what it was about.

"I am not sure." Beast answered. "He didn't say."

"Well, tell 'em I'll be back later." Logan knew he would have to talk with Xavier sooner or later, but decided it would be later. He wasn't in the mood right now.

"When I saw Cyke his lip was busted." Jubilee spoke quietly so that Alice was the only one that could hear her. "I bet he did it."

They watched Logan as he left the room.

* * *

"Do you know anything about this?" Cyclops asked as he pointed to the screen of the television sitting nearby.

Gambit ignored the accusation in his voice and casually glanced over at the news report that was currently on. There was a reporter speaking while she stood in front of the remains of a destroyed building surrounded by firemen. They were distinguishing the last of the flames and it was only smoldering now, a dark cloud of smoke still rising from the rubble.

"Should I?" Gambit asked, resting his feet on the table in front of him.

He had been called into Professor Xavier's office to discuss the night before and decided to get his interrogation over with.

"Both of you..." Xavier held his hand up to stop them before an argument started. He already had to settle Scott down once. "First thing's first. Let us start with Scott's lip."

Xavier looked at Gambit and waited for him to explain. Grambit cracked a smile when he glanced over at Cyclops and saw the fresh cut on his bottom lip. Then he turned his attention back to the Professor.

"Jus' a small misunderstanding." He answered.

"Misunderstanding?!" Cyclops exclaimed.

He was about to say something else when Xavier held his hand up again, not saying anything but gesturing for him to stay quiet. Cyclops stopped and crossed his arms, a clear expression of anger still plastered on his face.

"Now, as for the matter of the building..." Xavier continued. "Where exactly did you and Logan go last night?"

"Went ta visit some friends is all." Gambit replied after a short pause.

"As in the Friends Of Humanity?" Cyclops' temper was surfacing again. "I know the two of you had something to do with this!"

"And so what if we did, eh?" Gambit quickly rose to his feet, his own temper showing. "It jus' one less mutant murderer on de streets."

"Your actions didn't hurt just one person!" Cyclops exclaimed. "You're just as bad as they are!"

He raised his hand to his visor and Gambit quickly slid a card into his hand from the sleeve of his duster, charging it as soon as it reached his fingers.

"Both of you, stop this!" Xavier shouted. "I will not tolerate this kind of behavior on the team!"

Only after Cyclops lowered his hand did Gambit let the charge in his card die out. They kept their eyes on eachother as Xavier continued.

"Scott, could you leave us alone for a moment?" He calmly asked. Cyclops hesitated, but after giving Gambit one last look of disapproval he left. "Please, Gambit, have a seat."

Gambit pocketed the card he had drawn and sat back down, once again propping his feet up on the table in front of him. Xavier could see the frustration in his eyes, but decided to move on anyway.

"Gambit, this behavior is not acceptable." He continued. "I cannot allow the members of this team to fight amongst themselves. I know Scott is as much to blame as you are, but I hope the two of you can resolve your differences before it interferes with your teamwork."

"Don' worry 'bout it." Gambit replied. "We square t'ings off soon enough."

Xavier raised an eyebrow at his remark, not completely sure what he meant by it.

"There is a question I must ask you." He finally said, hesitating before he continued. "Did you and Logan have any involvement with last nights destruction of the Friends Of Humanity establishment?"

Gambit waited a moment before answering. "I do it on my own. Wolverine got not'in ta do wit' it."

Xavier sighed to himself and began to rub his temple, losing himself in thought. He looked as if he was having to come to a hard decision. Then he spoke again, sounding disappointed and angry at the same time. "How could you be so wreckless? You know we only use force if it's absolutely necessary! You can't just take lives in cold blood!"

"Gambit not sorry he done it if dat what you wanna hear." Gambit said as he slid his feet off of the table in front of him and stood back up. "Dey got what was comin' to 'em."

"That, I am afraid, is exactly the attitude that must lead me to suspend your place on the team." Xavier replied. "I regret to inform you that you have lost your position with the X-Men."

"You kickin' me out?" Gambit was stunned by the Professor's words.

"You are still welcome to remain here at the mansion." Xavier looked troubled by the decision he was being forced to make and was trying to think of something else to add, but Gambit spoke up before he got the chance.

"T'anks for de offer, mon ami." Xavier could detect the bitter tone in Gambit's voice as he made his way out of the room. "Look at de bright side. Now you don' gotta worry 'bout me interferin' wit' de teamwork, non?"

Just as he stepped through the door he saw that Scott was still waiting outside.

"Look, you--" Cyclops started to say something as Gambit walked by, but was just pushed out of the way.

"I ain't on de team no more." Gambit said as he passed him. "Dat mean I don' gotta listen ta your babblin'."

Cyclops might have pursued him, but was caught off guard by his comment. He wasn't on the team anymore...

* * *

Logan puffed on a cigar as he walked through the trees, taking in the scenery around him. He was enjoying his alone time outside the grounds of the mansion and was hoping nothing would disturb his stroll. Just then his hopes came to an end when he caught a familiar scent coming from close behind. He took another puff from his cigar and then turned to face Jean.

"It's a beautiful day." She commented, trying to make small talk.

Logan answered with a low grunt and kept his attention focused on the cigar he was now holding between his teeth.

"Need somethin'?" He sounded grumpier than usual, guessing that she had come out to tell him he needed to go see the Professor. "Or are ya just out ta do some bird watchin'?"

"Actually, I was hoping you might tell me what happened last night..." She said with a puzzled expression. "There's quite a few rumors going around."

"You don't say?" Logan's reply was thick with sarcasm. "I should be flattered I'm the center of attention. Can't ya just read my mind?"

"I'm not that careless with my powers, Logan, you know that." She answered. "Besides, I was hoping you would just tell me."

"Sure, Red." He said, finishing off the last of his cigar. "Went ta have a chat with the FOH. Seems they needed a little remodeling done."

"Logan, how could you do that?!" She exclaimed. "You know we don't--"

"Don't what?" Logan cut her off. "Seek revenge? We let a lot of people get away with what they shouldn't and this time they put the wrong person in a hospital bed. Storm's up there in a coma and you're tellin' me we should'a just sat here and done nothin'?"

"Professor Xavier's going to be furious!" Jean answered.

"He'll get over it." He said as he turned away to continue his walk. "Chuck's got better things ta worry about. A few less Friends Of Humanity stinkin' up the planet ain't worth losin' sleep over."

* * *

Half an hour had passed since Logan's encounter with Jean and he decided it was time to head back to the mansion. When he set out for his walk it was originally for some peace and quiet, but after their argument he spent the rest of it mumbling to himself and thinking about how he was always being bothered when he just wanted some privacy.

As he got closer to the front door of the mansion he could hear voices arguing inside. The average person wouldn't be able to hear anything from such a distance, but his ears easily picked up the disturbance. By the time he was reaching for the doorknob he could make out who the voices belonged to. The Professor and Rogue were having some kind of a disagreement. When he stepped through the door he could see that they weren't alone. Cyclops, Jean and Jubilee were also crowded around them. He spotted Alice sitting in the back, trying to stay neutral and avoid getting in the middle of it. All eyes turned in his direction when he came in.

"What's with all the racket?" He asked as he walked over to join in on the discussion.

"He kicked Remy off the team!" Rogue was almost shouting when she pointed at Professor Xavier.

"Gambit didn't leave him any other choice!" Cyclops spoke up. "He knew the rules and he chose to break them! His attitude and wreckless actions put the whole team at risk!"

"Scott..." Jean put her hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"You canned the Cajun?" Logan asked, looking over at the Professor.

"I didn't get rid of anyone, Wolverine." Xavier answered. "Gambit was welcome to stay if he wished, but not as a member of the team."

"Has everyone around here lost their heads?" Logan obviously didn't agree with Xavier's decision.

"He took lives in cold blood!" Cyclops replied. "How can you defend that?"

Once again Jean tried to quiet her fuming husband.

"So you gonna kick me off too?" Logan angrily snapped.

"What do you mean?" Xavier asked with a curious look on his face. "He told me you had nothing to do with it."

"I don't need the Cajun coverin' for me, Chuck." Logan answered. "I had as much ta do with it as him and I ain't sorry. We've let scum like that go after innocent mutants for long enough without doin' anything about it! This time they made the mistake of tryin' ta kill someone that happens ta be a good friend of mine. Storm's lyin' in the infirmary and you're worried about a few bigots gettin' their dues!"

"That doesn't justify anything!" Cyclops started in again. "It was murder and you know it!"

"Sometimes a little direct action is the only way to get through ta people." Logan growled, getting fed up with Scott's judgmental remarks. He looked as if he was ready to bring out his adamantium claws.

"Ah hate ta be demandin', but would one a y'all mind tellin' me where Remy got off to?" Rogue asked, putting her hands on her hips and waiting for an answer.

"I don't know, he left a little while ago." Jubilee finally chimed in. "He said he'd be back for his stuff later." Then she paused for a second. "He looked pretty mad."

"Well, that's just great!" Rogue threw her hands in the air, talking more to herself than anybody else around her. Then without another word she stomped out of the room.

"Listen, Chuck." Logan sounded calmer now. "You made a bad call on this one. If I were you I'd think it over again before I went around bootin' members off the team."

Then Logan turned to leave, but stopped when he heard Cyclops' voice once again.

"The choice is his." Cyclops replied, also sounding calmer. "He doesn't need you telling him--"

"That's enough, Scott." Xavier quickly silenced the bickering. "I suggest everybody go and get some rest, we'll discuss this later."

Xavier hovered out of the room and Jean followed close behind. Then Logan gave Cyclops one last menacing glare before leaving himself. Jubilee walked over to Alice while Cyclops muttered something to himself and headed in the same direction as the Professor and Jean.

* * *

The sky was a solid sheet of black. The moon and stars were completely covered with thick clouds and a mist lingered in the air in the late hours of the night. It was more like the early hours of the morning. It was around two-o'clock and most of the mansion had gone to sleep a long time ago. Beast was the only resident still awake and continued to watch over Storm. Everybody had discussed taking shifts, but he said he already planned on being up and there was no reason for anybody else to sacrifice their sleep.

He was busy rummaging through papers scattered around on his desk when he heard the door open and looked up to see Gambit walk in. Apparently he had used his thieving skills to get into the mansion undetected, seeing as how their security systems were already up and running for the night and the only place to enter the access codes to shut them off were inside the mansion. He watched him make his way across the room and over to Storm's bed.

"You have unusual visiting hours, my friend." Beast commented, momentarily delaying his search for the document he was looking for.

"How she doin'?" Gambit asked, watching over her as she slept.

"You'll be happy to hear she awoke earlier tonight." Beast answered. "She was awake for several hours. To avoid the risk of any further complications I haven't given her any other medication since she lapsed into her recent comatose state."

"What happened to her?" Gambit looked relieved, but there was also the clear impression that he was dreading to hear the latest news on her condition.

"I am not one-hundred percent positive as of yet." Beast said as he walked over to her bed and picked up the charts sitting near it. "I believe it may have had something to do with a bad reaction to the medication she was on. It appears her head trauma needs a little more time to heal before she is put on anything else. We won't run into the same problem in the future."

"Dat's good news." Gambit replied. "How long it gonna be 'fore she get better?"

"I think it would be safe to say she will be out of bed in a day or two." Beast answered, stroking his chin as he thought to himself. "Perhaps three, depending on her own judgement."

"I'm glad she doin' better." Gambit said as he took one last look at her and then turned to leave. "Well, I best be movin' along. Been a long day."

Beast was opening his mouth to say something else, but when he looked up he found that Gambit had already slipped out of the room.

* * *

Alice made her way out of her room and was now heading for the kitchen. It was early in the morning and she could use a nice breakfast to start the day off. When she walked in she saw that the kitchen was occupied by Rogue and Storm, who were fixing something to eat for everybody. Jubilee was sitting at the counter and looked as if she had just climbed out of bed and Logan was leaning against the wall, drinking a cup of coffee while he watched Scott read the paper at the table. Scott just sat and continued to read, ignoring the aggravated glares Logan was sending his way.

"Good morning, Alice." Jean said with a smile when she saw her enter the room.

"Morning." Alice smiled back.

"How do you like your eggs prepared?" Jean asked, turning back to the food cooking in front of her.

"Oh, it doesn't matter." Alice replied, walking over to Jubilee and taking a seat at the counter beside her.

"So y'all are fine with scrambled then?" Rogue asked as she looked around at everybody.

"Scrambled will be fine, Rogue." Scott answered, not looking away from his paper.

"Ah wasn't askin' you." Rogue snapped, causing him to look up at her.

She was still mad about all the negative comments she had heard from him about Gambit since the FOH building incident. He didn't say anything and looked back at his paper.

"I think we all like scrambled." Jean said, trying to ease the tension in the air.

"Scrambled it is." Rogue casually replied as she turned her attention back to their breakfast.

Then Beast walked in, looking surprisingly well rested for the hours he had been sleeping. He greeted everyone and went straight for the coffee. Even if he looked well rested he could still use some coffee to get him going.

"How's Storm doing, Hank?" Jean asked.

"She is doing well." He replied after taking a drink from his mug. "She is a bit hungry though, as should be expected. How long will breakfast be?"

"Just another five or ten minutes." Jean answered. "Is she alone right now?"

"No, Charles is watching over her at the moment." Beast said as he took another drink.

"Maybe I should go check on them." Scott said, folding his paper in half and getting up from his seat. "I need to talk with the Professor about todays training exercise anyway."

He started out of the kitchen and bumped into somebody he wasn't expecting to see at the door.

"Look like you seen a ghost, mon ami." Gambit smiled as he passed Scott and walked into the kitchen. Everybody stared at him in shock.

"Remy, you're back..." Rogue was the first to say something through her astonishment.

"We all thought you flew the coup, Gumbo." Logan added.

"Our Cajun friend visited Ororo last night." Beast replied. "I was not sure if you had decided to stay or not, our conversation was cut short before I had the chance to ask."

"Everyone 'round here too dramatic, non?" Gambit said to nobody in particular as he strolled into the kitchen, acting as casual as ever. He began fixing a cup of coffee and looked over at the eggs that were cooking. Then he sniffed the air and smiled. "You might make a chef yet, Chere. Maybe one day you be up to Gambit's level."

"And where in tarnation do ya think you're goin'?" Rogue asked, watching him head back out the door with his steaming cup of coffee.

"Got me some matters I gotta 'tend to, Chere." He answered. "Gambit be back later."

They all watched him leave the room and looked around at eachother in disbelief.

"It appears Gambit has decided to stay." Beast commented. Scott frowned before he left for the infirmary.

* * *

Gambit was leaning back in a chair beside Storm's bed as he talked to Professor Xavier, both of them keeping their voices down so they wouldn't disturb her while she slept. She had gone back to sleep shortly after Beast left. Their attention was caught by Scott when he entered the infirmary.

"Professor, I had some ideas for todays training session and--" He started talking as soon as he walked into the room, but stopped when he saw Gambit.

"Scott, I'm glad you're here." Xavier greeted him with a smile.

"What's going on?" He asked as he approached them, lowering his own voice when he saw that Storm was asleep.

"Have a seat and I'll explain." Xavier answered as he gestured for him to sit in an empty chair near them.

"I'd rather stand." Scott said, looking over at Gambit with a look of disapproval on his face.

"I won' take dat personal." Gambit replied with a smirk.

"You should." He stated as he crossed his arms in front of him and turned back to the Professor.

"Scott, we're not here for petty arguments." Xavier interjected. "We're here to settle our current delimma. I believe I may have jumped to a decision too hastily. I have contacted Gambit in order to offer him the chance to reconsider returning to his place on the team. He has accepted and I expect you to welcome him back just as I have."

"How can you just dismiss what--" Scott was interrupted before he could finish.

"Gambit and Wolverine will both be taken off of active duty until further notice." Xavier cut in. "I haven't determined for how long, but they will be suspended from accompanying you on any missions for a time. However, they will continue to train with the rest of the team."

The conversation stopped when Storm began stirring in her bed. After a moment she settled and continued to sleep.

"I think it would be best to leave Storm to herself." Xavier commented.

"Course, Professor." Gambit replied as he got up from his chair and drifted towards the door with a smug smile. "See you at de session, Cyke."

Once Gambit stepped out of the room Scott turned back to the Professor and started to say something else, but Xavier spoke first.

"I know how you feel about this, but the decision has been made." He said. "We'll discuss your ideas for todays training exercise later."

Scott silently left the room, leaving Xavier alone to watch over a sleeping Storm.

* * *

Cyclops stood outside the Danger Room doors fully dressed in his uniform. As usual he was the first member of the team to show up for their training session. Jean was the second to arrive, followed by Beast and Jubilee. A minute later Rogue joined them and after a short wait Gambit finally appeared. As usual he was late, but didn't seem to mind his delaying the session.

""Alright, we have some new exercises to work through today." Cyclops announced. "Let's get started."

"I can't help but notice Logan's absence." Beast commented, looking around at the gathered members.

"He won't be joining us today." Cyclops answered as he turned to walk into the Danger Room. "We're going to--"

"Speak for yourself." They all turned when they heard the sound of Logan's voice.

He passed everybody and walked straight into the Danger Room without even looking at any of them. He was obviously still angry about the Professor's decision to take him off of active duty. Cyclops was surprised to see him at all. Last time he checked Wolverine had left the mansion in a fit of rage and wasn't expected to be coming back any time soon. Apparently he decided to return, but still wasn't in a very good mood.

"Okay, let's go." Cyclops followed Logan into the room, ignoring the sudden interruption.

Once they were all inside the doors closed behind them and they waited for further instructions.

"We're going to try a capture the flag scenario. It focuses on hand to hand combat so we won't be using our powers. That means no adamantium claws or staffs either."

He directed his last comment towards Wolverine and Gambit, but they didn't respond to his singling them out and waited for him to finish.

"Hank, you'll be with Jean and Logan." He continued. "Rogue will be with Gambit and Jubilee. Any questions?"

"Let's just get this show on the road." Logan scowled as he walked away from the group.

"Get at opposite ends of the room and be ready." Cyclops gave him an annoyed look before he left for the control room to get the program started.

"Look like it's your lucky day, eh?" Gambit said with a smug smile, turning to face Rogue and Jubilee. "Playin' capture de flag wit' a master t'ief."

Rogue and Jubilee just looked at eachother and rolled their eyes. Gambit continued to smile while he followed them to their side of the room. Once they were there they heard Cyclops' voice over the speakers.

"The first team to steal the other teams flag and get it back to their side wins." He said as large metal blocks rose from the ground, creating obstacles between the two teams. Then flags appeared out of thin air on each side, one red and one blue. "Remember, no powers."

"Come on, let's go already." Jubilee whined, getting impatient and crossing her arms.

Just then Cyclops gave them the go ahead to start and the two teams took off towards eachothers flags. They all split up, racing through the various obstacles in their paths. Rogue looked around the corner of a large metal block to see if anybody was around her, but saw that the coast was clear and started around it. She was caught off guard by Beast when he jumped down behind her. He had been watching her from the top of the block she was hiding behind and landed with a smile.

"You must be more careful, my dear." He said, flipping out of the way as she tried to hit him.

He landed on top of another large block and jumped from one to another, quickly making his way towards Rogue's flag. She debated going after him, but decided to go for his teams flag instead. Gambit was also on top of the blocks, easily jumping from block to block and getting closer to the flag he had his eye on. Then his path was suddenly cut off when Wolverine jumped up onto a block in front of him.

"Not so fast, Cajun!" He growled, ready to strike.

Gambit just smiled and hopped off the block he was standing on, disappearing from Wolverine's view. Wolverine jumped down to where he had dropped to, but he was already gone so he sniffed the air and began tracking his scent.

Jubilee was running through the room when she met Jean on her way. Jean attempted to get around her, but she charged towards her and dove through the air, knocking them both to the ground. Jubilee had her pinned down until Jean flipped her over her head, throwing her a few feet away. She quickly jumped back up to her feet and took off to get Jubilee's flag before she had time to react. Beast was the first to reach a flag and swept passed it, quickly gripping it in one hand and heading back towards his own side to win the game. Just about the same time Gambit reached the other teams flag and grabbed it. Without warning he was tackled to the ground by Wolverine.

"Tag, Gumbo." He said, unleashing his adamantium claws from one hand and holding them up to his face. "You're it."

"You t'ink so, mon ami?" Gambit replied with a smug smile.

Wolverine looked down and saw that his belt was glowing. He quickly jumped up off of Gambit and started to pull it off before it exploded, but the charge faded within seconds. Then he looked up and saw that there was no sign of Gambit or his teams flag. He let out a low growl and once again started stalking his prey.

Beast dodged Rogue's attempt to dive on him as he bounced through the obstacles and got closer to his side of the room. He was caught off gaurd by Gambit, who popped up right in front of him and snatched the flag out of his hand. Gambit didn't waste any time and took off with both flags, smiling at Beast as he vanished in the metal blocks down below.

"Here you go, Chere." He continued to smile while he passed Rogue, handing her their teams flag and making his way through the room with the other teams clutched tighlty in his fist.

Rogue ran after him and followed so she could return their flag, the other team approaching from close behind. Gambit was the first to reach their side and Rogue got there a moment later, winning the game. They smiled at eachother as the others met up with them, the obstacles in the room vanishing.

"Looks like we won." Jubilee said with a confident smile. She walked over to Gambit and Rogue and crossed her arms in triumph.

"So you did." Jean replied with a smirk. "Congratulations."

"You sound surprised, p'tite." Gambit boasted, tossing Jubilee the flag he still had in his hand.

"You both deliberately broke the rules." Cyclops said as he entered the Danger Room. "I said no powers and no claws. What part of that did you not understand?"

"Lighten up, Cyke." Gambit replied. "Sometimes you gotta improvise, non?"

"If you want to remain on this team you have to follow orders just like everybody else!" Cyclops exclaimed.

"Perhaps we should move on with the training exercise." Beast spoke up, hoping to put an end to their argument.

"Fine." Cyclops finally answered. "We'll try some one on one exercises. Any volunteers?"

"How 'bout you an' Gambit give it a go." Gambit suggested after nobody else spoke up. Cyclops looked at him with a puzzled expression while Gambit casually waited for a response.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." Jean said with an uncertain look on her face.

"No, it's alright." Cyclops assured her. "Everyone else can head up to the control room."

"This should be good." Wolverine said with a slight smirk as he walked out, followed by Jubilee and Beast.

Jean and Rogue hesitated before following, but after a moment they walked out behind the others, leaving Gambit and Cyclops alone in the middle of the Danger Room. They silently stood and waited for the others to get to the control room. Gambit pulled out a deck of cards and casually shuffled them while he waited.

"Do you mind?" Cyclops asked, clearly annoyed by the noise he was making.

"Not at all." Gambit smiled and slid the cards back into his duster. "Looks like dey ready anyway."

They both looked up and saw the others looking down at them from the control room. Cement pillars appeared out of nowhere, stretching from the ground to the ceiling to provide cover for them if they needed it during the fight.

"All set." They heard Jean's voice through the speakers. There was still a hint of nervousness in it as she spoke.

"Shall we?" Gambit asked as he walked away.

"It would be my pleasure." Cyclops replied, turning around and walking in the other direction.

Once they were a good distance apart they turned around to face eachother. They stood and waited until they heard Jean's voice tell them to begin over the speakers. Cyclops started the battle by sending a large blast from his visor towards Gambit, who gracefully flipped out of the way and landed with several cards charged in his hand. He threw them in Cyclops' direction, but he dove away from them and the explosions blew a hole in the wall just behind him. He rolled and quickly got back to his feet, taking another shot at Gambit. Once again he easily dodged the blast and released another card, but this time Cyclops blew the card out of the air and sent another blast from his visor without wasting any time. Gambit dodged it and it blew a pillar behind him to pieces, the dust from the cement surrounding him. Cyclops waited for the cloud to clear before he took his next shot, but when it did Gambit was gone.

"Where'd he go?" Jubilee asked as she watched from above, but the others were focused on the duel and didn't even notice she had asked a question.

Cyclops looked around and searched the room, but still didn't see Gambit anywhere. He slowly started walking forward, prepared to take another shot if he needed to. Then he heard the sound of a card flying through the air, but it was too late for him to move and it hit the ground beside him. The explosion blew him into a nearby pillar and he slammed into it with a loud thud.

He looked up just in time to see another card coming at him and jumped out of the way as it blew the pillar in half. When he got back to his feet he saw Gambit charging another card and released another blast from his visor. Gambit dove out of the way and threw the card as he flew through the air. Cyclops dodged it and sent another blast in his direction without hesitating. Gambit managed to avoid getting hit directly, but the explosion knocked him off balance and he stumbled to the ground. He quickly jumped up and flipped out of the way as another blast blew a hole in the ground where he had been standing. He pulled a handful of cards out as he flipped through the air and threw them as soon as his feet landed on the ground. Cyclops ran for cover as the explosions from the cards errupted all around him.

"They're gonna kill eachother!" Rogue exclaimed.

"What's going on?" They all looked back when they heard Professor Xavier's voice. He joined them at the window and looked down at what was taking place in the Danger Room.

Cyclops shot a powerful blast at Gambit, who dodged it, but got a hole burnt in his duster as it whipped through the air behind him. He threw several cards at the ground in front of Cyclops and they exploded a few feet away from him, blowing dust up at his face. Gambit ran towards him while he was blinded and flipped over his head before it had time to settle. Cyclops turned around just as he landed behind him and had no time to react. Gambit's staff was already extended to its full length and he hit him across the face with it, knocking him to the ground.

"Stop this at once!" Xavier's voice filled the room and the pillars around them disappeared. They both looked up at the control room and saw the Professor watching them. "Both of you, this training session is over."

Gambit put his staff away and offered a hand to Cyclops to help him up, but he ignored his gesture and got up without any assistance. Gambit just smiled and watched him as he walked away.

* * *


	6. Chapter Six

_(((Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel.)))_

* * *

Golden Slumbers

Chapter 6

* * *

Gambit smiled as he looked down at his creation and added a touch of his carefully selected spices. He proudly watched over the meal while it cooked and knew that Storm was going to appreciate having such a feast prepared just for her. He leaned back against the counter and patiently waited. It would be ready in just a few minutes and he would take it to her. Earlier in the day he had promised her that he would make her a special dinner and was satisfied with how it turned out.

"What smells so good?" Jubilee asked as she walked into the kitchen with Alice.

"Jus' some good 'ol fashion home cookin', p'tite." He smugly replied.

"It looks good." Alice said with a smile.

"Really good." Jubilee added, taking a step towards the food to get a better look.

"Not so fast, p'tite." Gambit held a hand out to stop her. "Dis here's a get well supper for Stormy."

"No fair." Jubilee whined. "Storm gets this and the rest of us get frozen TV dinners."

"Nobody fixin' dinner tonight?" Gambit asked as he began to take out a plate to dish up the food that was now ready to serve. "I fix de two a you somet'in tomorrow night, don' worry."

"Like what?" Alice asked.

"Can't be spoilin' de surprise." Gambit replied with a smirk as he turned back to the food. "You jus' wait an' see, I fix you up somet'in real good."

"Not too spicy right?" Jubilee asked, raising an eyebrow. "I do want to be able to eat it."

Gambit just smiled to himself while he dished up Storm's dinner. "You get her somet'in to drink, eh?"

"Sure, why not?" Jubilee replied, heading towards the refridgerator. "Atleast Storm'll eat good tonight."

"Since when is the swamp rats cookin' so good anyway?" Rogue teased as she walked through the door.

"Always been good, Chere." Gambit turned to her with a grin. "Jus' look a lot better when it compared to frozen fishsticks, non? Now you see how lucky you are ta have a cook such as myself 'round here."

"Ah thought it was Logan's turn ta fix dinner?" Rogue asked, paying no attention to the cocky smile on Gambit's face.

"It is, but he left again a little while ago." Jubilee answered, pouring a glass of orange juice. She knew it was one of Storm's favorites.

"Ah take it nobody's volunteered ta cook in his place..." Rogue didn't really ask it as a question, but stated it as a fact. Nobody other than Gambit would cook unless they absolutely had to and taking over somebody elses shift was unheard of.

"You never know, de freezer might have somet'in good stashed away after all." Gambit commented as he took the glass of orange juice from Jubilee and carried the plate of hot food out of the room. "Maybe you get lucky."

Rogue turned to Jubilee and Alice after he was gone. "Well, should we see what we got?"

They didn't have any such luck when they searched the freezer and the three of them exchanged disappointed looks when all they saw was a couple of tofu burgers and a bag of mixed vegetables.

"For living in a mansion we sure have a problem with keeping the food supply stocked." Jubilee remarked with a look of disgust.

"How would y'all feel about a pizza?" Rogue asked.

* * *

"Dinner time, Chere." When Gambit arrived at the infirmary Storm was sitting up in her bed with a book. She looked a lot better now and not nearly as tired as before.

"Hello, Gambit." She greeted him with a smile and set the book aside. "What have we here?"

"A feast like no other." He replied with a smug smile as he turned the food tray on the bed to be in front of her and set the plate down on it. "Enjoy. De others be jealous."

"This is quite the meal." Storm chuckled to herself while she looked over the plate in front of her. "I don't know if I'll be able to finish all of it. Would you care to join me?"

"Dis jus' for you, Stormy." He answered, putting his hands up as if he didn't dare touch it. "You have no trouble cleanin' dat plate once you taste it."

"Well, atleast stay for awhile." She said with a smirk, gesturing for him to sit in the chair next to her bed. "I could use some dinner conversation. If you're not too busy that is."

"Never too busy for you, Chere." He replied, sitting in the chair and slouching to get comfortable.

"Good." She said, turning back to her dinner. "And don't call me Stormy."

Gambit put his hands behind his head and leaned back with a smile while he watched her eat. He was satisfied when he saw the look on her face after her first bite and she complimented it. He stayed in the infirmary and talked with her even after she finished eating and she did indeed clear her plate.

* * *

Alice walked over to her dresser just after getting out of a very refreshing shower. Before she found herself at the mansion showers were few and far between. Now that she was able to take them whenever she wanted to again she didn't take them for granted. Nobody had asked her much about her past and it was something she would rather not discuss.

She stood at her dresser and lost herself in thought. Images of what led to her capture by the Friends Of Humanity raced through her mind and she could feel tears begin to form in her eyes. She suddenly snapped back to reality when she heard a knock at her door, hoping whoever it was wouldn't just walk in since she was only wrapped in a towel.

"Who is it?" She called out, sounding more tense than she meant to.

"You decant, p'tite?" She heard Gambit's voice come from the other side of the door.

"Just a minute." She answered, rushing to get some clothes out of her dresser. A moment later she was dressed and opened the door.

"I come at a bad time?" He asked once it was open.

"No, I just got out of the shower." She answered with a slight blush. "Sorry."

"No need to apologize, p'tite." He replied with a smile. "Jus' come by ta see if you up for some trainin' tomorrow..."

Before Alice had the chance to say anything they were interrupted by Xavier's voice over the mansions loud speakers. "All X-Men to the War Room at once."

"Don' know if dat means me, but I suppose I best be checkin' it out anyway." Gambit said as he turned to leave. "I see you in de Danger Room tomorrow mornin', eh? Bright an' early." Then he glanced back at her with a grin. "Well, not too bright an' early."

Gambit made his way towards the War Room and once he stepped inside he saw that everybody was already there, with the exception of Wolverine and Storm. He could see by the looks on their faces that some of them weren't expecting to see him there. He casually leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms.

"Hope you don' mind my showin' up." He said, looking around at the group. He noticed a particularly unpleased look on Cyclops' face.

"Of course not, Gambit." Xavier spoke first. "Have a seat and we'll begin."

"Don' mind if I do." Gambit replied, walking over to the table and joining the others.

"We have a problem we must attend to." Xavier continued once he was seated. "We will be leaving for Muir Island in twenty minutes. Gather what you need, we'll be gone for a few days. Beast will stay behind to keep an eye on Storm and the mansion, as will Gambit and Jubilee. Since Wolverine is still missing he won't need to be told he won't be accompanying us on this mission."

"But Professor--" Jubilee started to object, but stopped when Xavier held is hand up.

"Jubilee, we need people here as much as anywhere." He said. "The rest of us will be able to take care of the situation. The rest of you get prepared to leave, I'll debrief you on the way."

"Alright, you heard him everybody." Cyclops commanded as he stood up. "Let's move."

Gambit and Jubilee remained seated while the others left the room, Professor Xavier and Beast following close behind.

"It's not fair!" Jubilee finally blurted out after they were alone. "I always get left behind."

"It not so bad, p'tite." Gambit replied with a smug smile. "Look at it dis way. You get to spend a few days wit' me while everybody else gotta put up wit' de fearless leader."

Jubilee just huffed to herself and crossed her arms, still not happy with the house duty she was assigned to.

* * *

Gambit slowly drifted into conciousness. He rolled over and glanced at his bedroom window, holding a hand up to shield his eyes from the sunlight shining in. He yawned as he looked over at his clock to check the time. Almost ten o'clock. After a failed attempt to go back to sleep he decided he should probably get up and pulled himself out of bed, heading straight for the shower.

When he finally made his way out of his room he felt better and was awake as much as he could be without a cup of coffee, which was his next stop. He walked into the kitchen and was happy to see that Beast already had some coffee made. He poured a cup and sat down on the kitchen counter, resting the back of his head against the cabinets after taking a drink. He looked over just as Beast walked in.

"I see you have found the coffee already." He said, heading over to fix himself a cup. Gambit answered with an appreciative smile and a nod of the head. "Ororo is in need of a cup as well."

"How she doin' today?" Gambit asked, taking another drink.

"Very well, despite not being much of a morning person." Beast mused as he took a deep whiff of his coffee before taking his first drink. Then he began filling up another cup for Storm.

"Good ta hear, mon ami." Gambit said as he slid off the counter and set his now empty cup in the sink. "I see you later. Got me some lessons scheduled for de Danger Room. Tell Storm I be by after awhile."

"Can do, my friend." Beast replied as Gambit started out of the room.

When he got to the Danger Room he saw that a program was in progress so he headed towards the control room. He was surprised to find Alice sitting at the controls while she watched what was going on down below. He walked up behind her and looked through the window without her even realizing he was there. Jubilee was busy fighting off a group of computer generated FOH members.

"What, she don' t'ink she get enough of dat in de real world?" Gambit commented, startling Alice when he spoke. She spun around to face him and he looked at her with an emused smile.

"I didn't hear you come in." She finally said.

"Light steps." He replied, turning his attention back to Jubilee's battle.

"I know I shouldn't be messing with the controls, but she wanted to use the room and nobody else was around." Alice said, sounding a little guilty. "She showed me how to end the program if I needed to."

"How long she been in dere?" He asked as he continued to watch.

"About twenty minutes now." She answered, relieved that he didn't seem to mind that she was running the controls.

"We give her ten more minutes, eh?" He replied as he sat down in the seat next to her.

"Do you want to take over?" She asked, referring to the controls in front of them.

"You look like you can handle it." He casually answered, leaning back in his chair and watching Jubilee take out more Friends Of Humanity holograms.

They watched for another ten or fiteen minutes while Jubilee brawled with the soldiers that still surrounded her before Gambit finally ended the simulation.

"Hey, what gives?" Jubilee asked, looking around the empty Danger Room as she tried to catch her breath.

"Our turn, p'tite." She heard Gambit say over the speakers. "How 'bout you come up here an' run t'ings for us..."

"I'll be right up." She answered in a slightly annoyed voice.

* * *

"Thank you, Hank." Storm smiled as she took the cup of coffee from Beast.

"My pleasure." He replied, walking over to his computer with his own cup.

"Where are the others?" She asked after taking a sip.

"Gambit mentioned a workout in the Danger Room." He answered. "I'm not sure where young Jubilee and Alice have gotten off to. Just lounging around I suppose."

"I suppose you're right." She replied, taking another drink. "This is good."

"Mans best friend." Beast commented as he held his cup up.

"You know, I really am feeling much better." Storm said after a moment. "Perhaps I can get out of bed now."

"Are you sure, Ororo?" Beast got up and walked over to her bed with a concerned look in his eyes. "It is still rather early to be getting up and moving around. I think it would be best to give it atleast another day."

"Well, would you have any objections about me moving back to my room?" She asked. "I have been in here quite awhile and would really like to be getting back into my own bed."

"I think that could be arranged." He replied with a smile. "Although, do you think it could wait until a little later today?"

"Of course, Hank." She answered.

"Very well." He said, walking back over to his computer. "We will have you back in your own bed with the proper monitors by sundown."

* * *

"I can't believe it!" Alice exclaimed as she watched the dust in the air fall back to the ground.

Gambit stood beside her with his arms crossed and a wide grin on his face. He watched her stare at the hole in the ground with a shocked expression. She continued to stare in amazement as he walked over to the hole and inspected it, more to give her a moment to process what had just happened than anything else. After a moment the silence was broken by Jubilee.

"What happened?" She asked through the intercom in the control room.

Gambit looked over at Alice and saw that she was still in a state of disbelief.

"I t'ink maybe she jus' learned how ta use her powers." Gambit answered, walking back over to Alice. "You t'ink you can do it again, p'tite?"

It took her a second to snap out of it and realize she was even being spoken to.

"I-I don't know." She finally managed to answer. "How did I do that?"

"Let's find out, eh?" Gambit said, pulling a card out and handing it to her.

She hesitated before taking it and took another look at the smoking hole in the ground a few feet away. Gambit took a step back and waited.

"Here goes nothing." Alice smiled, but it didn't cover up how nervous she was.

She cautiously held the card out in front of her and it began to glow. She pulled her arm back to throw it, but the charge faded as she prepared to let it go. She looked at it with a disappointed expression and turned to Gambit. He didn't say anything, but silently gestured for her to try again. She took a deep breath and looked back at the card, focusing just enough to charge it again. Once it was glowing she pulled her arm back to throw it and this time the charge didn't fade. She kept her eyes on her target. There was a tree just ahead that she planned on striking. Unfortunately, when she released the card it exploded only a few feet in front of her, startling her and causing her to stumble back. She tripped and fell to the ground, letting out a groan of frustration.

"Take it easy, p'tite." Gambit said as he helped her back to her feet. "Dis ain't de kind of t'ing you learn over night. Jus' try again, you'll get it."

He handed her another card and once again took a step back to give her space. She sighed to herself as she looked back at the tree she was hoping would have been blown up by now.

Within a few seconds the card was glowing and she threw it. It flew through the air and exploded when it collided with a limb, blowing it to pieces.

"I did it!" Even though she was aiming for the center of the tree she didn't mind that her aim wasn't accurate. She had controlled her powers all the way up to the point of impact, which was something she had never done before. Until now.

"Course you did." Gambit sounded casual. "I been tellin' you all along."

Alice didn't reply. She just stared at her hands with a blank expression. She couldn't believe how much control she had gained over her powers during her short stay at the mansion and having only had a few lessons.

"Hey, guys..." They heard Jubilee again from the speakers. "Beast just called and said he needs our help with something. Plus, I could use something to eat."

"We done enough for one day I t'ink." Gambit commented as the jungle surrounding them disappeared.

He was a little hungry himself. They had been in the Danger Room for several hours now and they all felt like they could use a bit of a break.

* * *

"This is really uncalled for." Storm protested. "I am capable of walking myself to my room."

"Course you are, Chere." Gambit said with a smile as he continued to push her down the hall in the wheelchair Beast insisted she use. "But where would my manners be if I didn' offer some assistance?"

"It is only temporary." Beast added from behind them. He was carrying the last of the medical supplies he felt she needed in her bedroom.

"I'll just be glad when this is all over." She replied with a sigh.

"You an' me both, Stormy." Gambit smirked to himself when she shot him an unpleasant look at the mention of her nickname.

"Aah, here we are." Beast said, stepping out in front of them to open the door to her room.

Once they were inside Storm and Gambit were both surprised by the amount of equipment there was set up. It looked as if Beast had moved the entire infirmary into her bedroom.

"Done some remodeling, mon ami?" Gambit asked with a raised eyebrow.

"This is a bit much isn't it?" Storm added as she looked around at everything.

"I will have only the best for my patients." Beast didn't even seem to notice their reactions as he pushed passed them and walked over to set down the rest of the supplies he was holding. "It will only be for a couple of days."

"I surely hope so." Storm replied.

"I dunno, I t'ink it kinda livens de place up." Gambit teased with a grin.

"Shall we get you settled in?" Beast asked as he approached them.

* * *

Gambit and Beast made their way downstairs after getting Storm comfortable. As comfortable as a person could get while being surrounded by medical equipment that is. She still wasn't very happy with the current arrangement, but Beast assured her it was necissary.

"Where is everybody?" Logan met with them at the bottom of the staircase.

"Back so soon, eh?" Gambit replied, ignoring the question.

"The others are away on a mission." Beast answered. "They left for Muir Island yesterday. Will you be joining us for dinner?"

Logan mumbled something to himself as he walked away and started towards the kitchen.

"I take it dat's a yes." Gambit smiled as they followed him.

"It's about time you guys show up." Jubilee said when she saw the three of them walk in. She was sitting at the kitchen counter with Alice and stood up from her chair, putting her hands on her hips. "We're starving, what are you gonna fix for dinner?"

"You know, you could try cookin' somethin' yourself." Logan replied, pulling open the refridgerator to look inside.

"Gambit told de gals he fix somet'in special tonight." Gambit said, turning to Jubilee and Alice with a smug smile. "De two a you in for a treat tonight."

"As long as it ain't gumbo, Gumbo." Logan remarked as he took out a beer.

"Not tonight. Dis here's a special occasion." He declared while searching the cabinets for cooking materials. "We got de mansion all to ourselves, we might as well make de best of it, non?"

* * *

Gambit pulled his duster around him tighter as a wind began to blow. The night wasn't as cold as they had been, but the breeze was starting to give him chills. He watched as the glow from the tip of Logan's cigar disappeared in the forest down below. Logan spent as much time venturing through the woods as Gambit spent sitting on the roof. He had already been on top of the mansion for an hour or so before he saw Logan head out for his usual walk.

After a short while he finally decided it was time to turn in. He stood up and moved towards the edge of the roof, but stopped when he spotted a light on in Storm's room. It was late and he figured she would have been asleep by now, but it looked like she wasn't so he decided to pay her a visit. He would sometimes drop by her loft at night if he felt like having a chat.

He dropped down by the window to take a look inside and make sure she was still awake and hadn't just fallen asleep with the light on. He peered in and saw that she was sitting in bed reading a book.

"Been readin' a lot lately." He casually commented as he slipped through the window.

"Gambit?!" Storm gasped, startled by the sound of his voice. He was so quiet she hadn't even realized he was there.

"Sorry, Chere..." He apologized as he walked over to her. "Didn' mean ta scare you."

"Most people would use a door when coming by to visit." She said with a smirk.

"Gambit not like mos' people." He replied with a cocky smile, pulling up a chair and sitting next to her bed.

"Have you been on the roof again?" She asked, frowning when she saw his duster was damp from the moisture in the air outside. "It is freezing out there, you're going to catch pneumonia."

"You jus' worry 'bout yourself." He answered. "We need you up an' healthy again."

"I am fine, Gambit." She said, setting her book aside. "I would be up now if Hank would allow it. He can go overboard at times."

"You don' say?" He sarcastically remarked as he glanced around at the various medical machines and monitors surrounding them. "Jus' wantin' you ta get better is all."

"Yes, well I assure you I will be out of bed in the morning." She replied.

"Maybe I fix you a nice Cajun breakfast to celebrate, eh?" He suggested with a wide grin.

"You have been quite the cook lately." She commented with a grin of her own. "Perhaps I will have to make you a thank you dinner tomorrow night for your efforts."

"No need Chere, it was Gambit's pleasure." He assured her, waving a hand and dismissing the idea. Then he looked over at the book she had been reading and picked it up to look at the cover. "What's dis here about?"

"Nothing you would be interested in." She answered. "Just a book of mysteries Hank loaned me to help pass the time."

"Does it?" He questioned, setting the book back down.

"I'm afraid not." She replied with a frown. "It still seems as if I've been in bed for far too long."

"Always so impatient." He smirked as he leaned back in his chair.

"You have no room to talk, Remy LeBeau." She said, raising an eyebrow with an emused expression on her face. "I have heard how difficult of a patient you were during your stay in the infirmary."

* * *

Alice pulled on her jacket as she took her first step out of the mansion. She closed the front door behind her and took her time walking out to the yard. Jubilee had gone to bed and she didn't feel like going to sleep yet. She decided to take a walk outside so she wouldn't wake anybody, but saw that she wasn't the only one up when Logan emerged from the trees.

"Hi." She greeted him with a smile.

"Hey, kid." He replied as he approached her. "What are you doin' up so late?"

"Just thought I'd take a walk." She answered.

"Kinda late for a stroll ain't it?" He asked, crossing his arms in front of him.

"I couldn't sleep." She said while she glanced up at the sky. "I figured I'd get some fresh air for awhile."

"Well, have fun. I'll leave the lights on." He replied as he started towards the door. "I'm turnin' in for the night."

"Goodnight." She called out before he disappeared into the mansion.

Once again she was alone and turned to begin her walk. Since she didn't know the woods as well as the others she decided to stay near the mansion. She slowly made her way around it while continuing to admire the sky, looking up at what stars she could see through the clouds.

When she rounded the corner her attention was caught by a figure crouched outside an open window near the roof. After looking closer she could see that it was Gambit. He quietly slid the window closed and stood up as the light in the room went out. Then he took a few steps and directed his attention to a tree just below him. Without hesitated he leapt down into the top of it and vanished from her sight, making no sound when he landed.

She curiously watched and after a moment of silence he dropped from the bottom of it, still not making any noise when his feet landed on the ground. He brushed himself off and casually leaned against the tree as he pulled something out of his duster pocket. She saw that it was a cigarette when he put it up to his lips and lit the tip of it with a small charge from the end of his finger.

As she watched him from the distance she still couldn't help but envy his ability to control his powers so well. He stared straight ahead of him and took a drag from his cigarette, appearing to be lost in thought. She considered going over to him, but decided she didn't want to disturb him and turned to leave.

"Why you hidin' in de dark, p'tite?" He spoke up, not even looking in her direction.

She was caught off guard by the sound of his voice.

"How did you..." She trailed off.

"You should be gettin' your rest." He said with a smile. "We had a long day today."

"I'm not tired." She answered as she walked over to him, looking at the cigarette in his hand. "I didn't know you smoke."

"Bad habit, eh?" He replied, reluctantly putting it out on the bottom of his boot. "Been cuttin' back."

"You should, it's bad for you." She said.

"So I heard." He commented as he crossed his arms and leaned back up against the tree.

"What were you doing up there?" She asked, nodding her head towards the window he came from.

"Stopped by ta see Stormy." He casually replied. He noticed a guilty look in her eyes at the mention of her name and raised an eyebrow. "Some'tin de matter, p'tite?"

"No, I'm fine." She answered, doing her best to cover up her guilt.

"Come on, let's hear it..." He wasn't convinced.

She hesitated before she finally sighed to herself and gave in. "It's just, none of you would have even got hurt if you didn't have to save me. If you--"

"We didn' have to save anyone, it was our choice." He interrupted. "We seen a lot worse, don' worry. We jus' end up gettin' hurt somewhere else eventually anyway."

They quietly stood and watched the sky for a minute before Gambit decided to change the subject.

"So why you away from your family?" He asked.

"What?" Alice got visibly tense at the mention of her family and looked over at him with a surprised expression.

"Your family." He repeated. "Why you out on your own?"

She focused her attention on the ground, refusing to make eye contact with him. She didn't want to tell him why she wasn't with her family. She didn't want to tell him what she did. It was something she didn't want to tell anybody. She had hoped nobody would ever ask her, but now somebody was and she didn't know how to avoid answering the question.

"P'tite?" He asked as he moved away from the tree and took a step towards her.

"I'd rather not talk about it." She answered, still not looking him in the eye.

"You can trust Gambit." He assured her.

"It's not that..." She replied.

"Den what?" He asked while he continued to wait for an explanation.

"There was an accident." She said after a long hesitation. "My brother got hurt."

"What kind of accident?" He questioned.

"It was when my powers first started to develope." She continued. "I didn't even know I was a mutant yet. I didn't mean to do it."

Gambit saw the tears that were beginning to run down her face, but remained where he was and listened while she went on with her story.

"We were just watching a movie. I didn't even realize I was charging anything." She fought back the tears as she continued. "Then everything blew up. We got him to the hospital, but I don't know if he's okay. I had to leave. How could I stay after that?"

Now she was sobbing and he moved closer to her, trying to comfort her the best he could.

"You can't blame yourself for dat, p'tite." He said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You couldn' control your powers, dere was not'in you could do. Dere was no way you coulda known..."

She buried her face in his chest and he stayed with her, letting her shed her tears.

* * *

"We don't got all day, Gumbo, make yer move." Logan stated while he stood in a defensive position.

"Actually, I t'ink we do got all day." Gambit replied as he dribbled the basketball towards the hoop. "But I got no problem wit' ended de game right now."

Gambit darted around Logan and took a shot, but Logan leapt through the air and extended his adamantium claws. He dropped back to the ground and turned to Gambit with a now flattened basketball hanging from them.

"Nice try." Logan remarked, retracting his claws and tossing it on the ground.

"Look like our game's over, eh?" Gambit commented with a grin.

"Looks like it." Logan replied as they made their way off the court. "Can't believe we're stuck here playin' games while everyone else is off on a mission."

"Could be worse." Gambit said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Oh, yeah?" Logan growled. "How?"

"We could be stuck wit' Cyke breathin' down our necks." Gambit answered. "Atleast dis way we get a vacation from 'em, non?"

Before Logan could reply his attention was caught by somebody walking out of the mansion. "I must be seein' things..."

"Chere, you're up!" Gambit called out in a cheerful voice.

Storm looked over when she heard Gambit shout and smiled as the two men started in her direction. She slowly made her way towards them, holding her still soar ribs while she walked.

"How you feelin', 'Ro?" Logan asked once they closed the distance. He gave her a concerned look when she winced from pain and held her side a little tighter.

"You alright, Stormy?" Gambit was also concerned.

"Do not call me that." She replied with a smirk. "I feel fine, I'm just a little soar from being in bed for so long."

"You sure?" Logan didn't look convinced.

"I'm fine, Logan." She assured him. "Why did nobody wake me for breakfast?"

"We thought we'd just let you sleep in and get some more rest." Logan answered, still watching her with a skeptical look in his eyes.

"Well, thank you for your consideration." She replied as she glanced around at the scenary surrounding them. "What a beautiful day. It feels good to get outside again."

"Good to see you outside again." Gambit said, taking a step forward to stand beside her. "T'ings just not de same wit'out you."

"Yeah, place has been kinda dull." Logan added, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Thank you both." She replied with a warm smile. "I have missed being around myself. I don't know if I would be able to stand another day stuck in bed."

"I would have preferred she stay in bed another day just to be safe." They all turned when they heard Beast's voice approaching. "However, I was hardly capable of changing her mind."

"Hank, you worry too much." Storm remarked, rolling her eyes at his statement. "All of you do."

"Just lookin' after our favorite weather witch, 'Ro." Logan commented, grinning at her silent response of disgust.

"Well, there is no need to any longer." She replied.

"You jus' take it easy for a few days, eh?" Gambit said with a raised eyebrow. "Now how 'bout I go fix dat celebration breakfast? Better late den never..."

"Excellent idea." Beast spoke up.

* * *

Gambit made his way into the mansions garage, Jubilee and Alice following close behind. Jubilee had asked him to take them to the mall after Logan turned her down. Logan had been even grumpier than usual ever since he was told he was temporarily off the team.

Gambit jumped into the drivers seat of Rogue's convertable, not even bothering to open the door. He pulled down the sun visor and grinned to himself when the keys dropped into his hand. He found the right key and put it in the ignition, starting the car while Jubilee and Alice climbed in.

"You're sure she doesn't mind you using her car?" Alice asked as she buckled her seatbelt.

"Course not, p'tite." Gambit answered. "Borrow it all de time."

* * *

They pulled up into a space in the parking garage and Jubilee was the first to jump out of the car. Gambit slid the keys into his pocket and put on a pair of sunglasses he would often wear when he was out in public places.

"You're gonna love this place." Jubilee told Alice as they led the way to the nearest entrance.

Gambit just smiled and followed while Jubilee filled her in on the various stores inside, covering everything from clothes to food. Once they were inside they made their way through the crowd of shoppers and salesman set up at small booths. On their way through a woman stopped Gambit and sprayed some cologne in his face, causing him to sneeze and wipe his glasses clean. Jubilee hurried him along when she saw the aggrivated look on his face, hoping to avoid an ugly scene.

After a short walk they reached the store Jubilee had set out to find. It was a huge department store full of designer shoes and clothing. Gambit sighed to himself as he watched her pull Alice inside. He slowly followed and watched Jubilee guide her through the different sections of the store, showing her her favorite items from each one. He glanced over at a duster hanging on a rack and lifted the tag to see the price. It was almost two-hundred dollars.

"May I help you, Sir?" A salesman asked from behind him.

"No t'anks." He answered, letting go of the tag and walking to the door. "I don' t'ink I want one dat bad."

He stepped out of the store and sat down on a bench just outside it. He casually sat and waited for them to finish their shopping, looking around at the crowd of people to pass the time. He noticed a group of young women watching him while they walked by and shot them his most charming grin.

"Do you always have to flirt?" He heard Jubilee's voice ask as the women smiled and waved at him.

"Jus' bein' friendly, p'tite." He remarked, standing up and turning to face her. She was standing next to Alice and they were both holding large bags full of clothes. "You sure you can afford dis place?"

"Would you rather steal it for us?" Jubilee asked with an emused smile.

"Where to next?" He replied, not answering the question but returning the smile.

* * *

Wolverine looked up and spotted Beast as he jumped from tree to tree just overhead. He watched him for a moment before continuing to walk through the jungle surrounding him. Then he stopped in an open area and waited. It was only a few seconds before he saw a bright flash of light and was knocked into a nearby bush. He growled and jumped back up to his feet, unleashing his adamantium claws. Sinister held one smoking hand in a fist and stood only a few feet away from him with a menacing smile on his face.

Beast was swinging from limb to limb on a tree when he heard the sound of the explosion fill the air. He stopped and listened. It was followed by more explosions and angry shouts that he knew belonged to Wolverine. He prepared to head towards the disturbance, but before he had the chance to the tree he was in suddenly began to shake. He jumped out of it and landed on the ground just as it came crashing down beside him. Then he saw who had ambushed him. The Juggernaut charged towards him from the trunk of the knocked over tree.

Wolverine dodged another blast from Sinister and dove at him, stabbing his claws into his chest. Sinister let out a cry of pain, but knocked Wolverine away from him and held his chest while the wounds healed. Wolverine didn't waste any time and lunged at him again. This time Sinister moved out of the way just in time to avoid his claws and released another blast from his hand, blowing Wolverine through the air. He flew from the force until he was stopped by a tree. He slammed into it and fell to the ground, gasping for breath as he climbed back to his feet. Beast dropped down from above and landed next to him, quickly grabbing him and jumping out of the way just as the Juggernaut's fist slammed into the ground behind them.

"I see you have met our other opponent." Beast remarked.

Just then Sinister and the Juggernaut vanished into thin air, followed by the jungle.

"Hey, what's the deal?" Wolverine asked, looking up towards the Danger Room's control room.

"We have a problem." Storm answered through the intercom.

* * *

"Where is everybody?" Alice asked as they walked through the mansion.

"Dunno, p'tite." Gambit answered.

They had been searching the mansion for the others ever since they got back from the mall, but still couldn't find them anywhere. They continued to look for a few more minutes until they finally found them in the War Room, gathered around a large screen with Professor Xavier's image displayed on it.

"What's going on?" Jubilee asked with a puzzled expression.

"It appears you have arrived just in time." Beast replied.

"For what?" Gambit asked, walking over to the screen to join them.

"The Friends Of Humanity have started a riot against the local mutants." Storm answered after letting out a heavy sigh.

"You will need to do what you can to end it before anybody is hurt." Professor Xavier spoke through the video feed. "You need to get there as soon as possible."

"Dis mean we're off restricted duty?" Gambit asked.

"Yes, without the rest of us there it will take all of you to handle it." Xavier replied.

"Then what are we waitin' for?" Wolverine growled. "Let's go handle it."

"I trust I don't have to tell you that no one is to be harmed..." Xavier commented.

"Anyt'ing you say, Professor." Gambit said as he turned to leave. "You don' gotta worry 'bout us."

"We will take care of everything, Professor." Storm assured him.

"Very well." Xavier replied. "And Storm, you take it easy. You still haven't fully recovered."

"I will, Professor." Storm said before ending the transmission.

"What is the plan of action?" Beast asked.

"Professor Xavier is right, I won't be of much use in my current condition." Storm answered, losing herself in deep thought as she tried to come up with a plan.

"Look, we can take care of it ourselves." Logan spoke up, glancing at Beast and then at Gambit, who had stopped at the door and was now leaning against the wall.

"I do believe the three of us would suffice." Beast replied. "You can stay here with Alice and Jubilee."

"Why should I have to stay behind?" Jubilee protested, putting her hands on her hips in a defiant gesture. "You guys are gonna need me."

"The kid can go." Logan said, starting for the door. "Just hurry up and let's get goin'."

* * *

The Blackbird went unnoticed as it landed on the top of a large building. The riot taking place down below had the towns citizens full attention. Wolverine, Gambit, Beast and Jubilee walked up to the edge of the roof to get a good view of the situation. The streets were filled with angry mobs that consisted of Friends Of Humanity and anti-mutant protesters.

Police officers were attempting to contain the riot, but their presence wasn't doing much to stop the violent rally. Store windows were being shattered and parked cars were being destroyed by the crowd as they marched down the streets. Fire and smoke was rising from several buildings that had already been attacked by the mob, no doubt businesses that supported mutant rights.

"So how are we supposed to stop this?" Jubilee asked, watching the chaos unfold.

Nobody seemed to have an answer. They silently stood and watched for a moment before Wolverine finally spoke up and broke the silence.

"With these." He answered as he held a fist up and brought out his claws.

"Perhaps it would be best to divide and conquer..." Beast commented. "Gambit and I can split them in the center while you and Jubilee head them off."

"Fine." Wolverine replied. "Let's go."

* * *


	7. Chapter Seven

_(((Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel.)))_

* * *

Golden Slumbers

Chapter 7

* * *

"Are you sure they're going to be okay?" Alice asked for the fifth time.

She sat in the War Room with Storm while they waited to hear from the others. It had been nearly half an hour since they left in the Blackbird and they were both concerned for their safety. The news broadcast covering the riot had ended shortly after their departure so they had no idea what was happening.

"There is no need to worry." Storm assured her. "We have dealt with simular situations in the past and have always managed to deal with them."

"Why do they hate mutants so much?" Alice asked, talking to herself more than anybody else. "I wish they would just leave us alone."

* * *

Beast ducked a bottle as it flew over his head. Then he jumped up and grabbed onto a light pole, swinging from it and landing on the ground behind his attackers. With one swift move he knocked their weapons out of their hands and they took off running. It didn't take long for another group of men to come at him. He dodged a mans attempt to hit him with a baseball bat and yanked it out of his hands, breaking it in half before grabbing the man and lifting him over his head. He tossed him into another group of rioters and they fell to the ground in one big heap. 

"Get that mutie!" A man in the crowd shouted, firing his gun in Beast's direction.

Beast effortlessly dodged the shot and flipped out of the way. The man kept him in his sight, but before he had the chance to fire again a small explosion blew the gun out of his hands. He looked over just in time to see a glowing object hit the ground next to him and blow a hole in the road.

"Where you goin', mon ami?" Gambit called out, charging another card as he watched the man run in the opposite direction.

Gambit turned his attention when gunfire hit the ground around him and he quickly whipped around, throwing the card in the shooters direction. It landed in front of several armed men, blowing them back against a parked car and denting the side of it from the impact. The dazed men climbed back to their feet and ran away. Then he spotted somebody running towards him out of the corner of his eye and ducked as the man swung at him. He flipped the man over his head and sent him flying through the air, crashing into another group of FOH members.

Just ahead of them Wolverine sliced a gun in half and hurled a man into a wall. He turned around just in time to see Jubilee blow a hole in the road and scare several rioters away, almost smiling at the sight of so many grown men running away from one teenage girl, although he did know that she wasn't just your average teenage girl.

He saw a man near her pull out a gun and raced towards him, diving through the air and tackling him to the ground.

"Bad move, Bub." Wolverine growled as he pulled the man up from the ground and threw him across the road.

The man hit the street with a loud thud and rolled into the gutter. Wolverine was caught off guard when he hear a gun shot and felt a burning pain in his arm. He clenched his teeth and grabbed his bleeding wound, turning around to face a man with a rifle pointed at him. He dove to the ground and dodged the next shot, rolling to his feet and wasting no time as he charged towards the gunman. The man fired again, but once again missed and Wolverine cut through the barrel of the gun before kicking the man and knocking him to the ground. Then he glanced down at his now healed arm and wiped the blood off.

Gambit extended his staff as he flipped through the air, landing in front of a group of Friends Of Humanity and knocking their weapons out of their hands. Within seconds they were all on the ground and he looked over to see how Beast was doing.

Beast was fending off the mob and lifted a man off his feet by the collar of his shirt. He threw him into the group surrounding him and watched as they took off running.

"Looks like dey had enough, eh?" Gambit asked, walking over to join him.

"Yes, they appear to be retreating." Beast replied.

The crowd was scattering and fleeing in all different directions. They stood and continued to watch until Wolverine and Jubilee approached them.

"Guess we're done here." Wolverine said, crossing his arms in front of him and watching the remaining rioters disappear.

"Stop right there!" They heard a voice shout from behind them.

They all turned around and spotted several police officers heading in their direction with their pistols drawn.

"You gotta be kiddin' me!" Jubilee exclaimed. "We stop the riot and now they wanna arrest us?"

"Don' worry, p'tite." Gambit replied as he pulled a card out of his duster. "We not stayin' around ta hear what dey have ta say."

Without hesitating he charged it and sent it flying through the air. A large explosion errupted a safe distance in front of the officers, only close enough to distract them.e air. A large explosion errupted a safe distance in front of the officers, only close enough to distract them. The four of them took the oppertunity to escape and made their way into a deserted alley.

"Now what?" Jubilee asked.

"Now we go home." Gambit answered.

They started walking until Wolverine held his hand up, signaling for them to stop.

"What is it?" Beast asked with a puzzled expression.

"We ain't alone." Wolverine replied after sniffing the air. Then he directed his attention towards a dumpster just ahead of them and brought out his claws. "It would be a good idea ta come out now... While ya got the chance."

After a short wait a figure emerged from behind the dumpster...

* * *

Storm and Alice both turned to the large screen in the War Room when they heard a beeping noise that indicated an incoming message. Storm quickly pressed a button to take the call and Beast's image came up in front of them. 

"Hank, is everything alright?" Storm asked.

"We are fine." He answered. "However, we do have another problem."

"What's wrong?" She asked, her nervousness evident in her voice.

"The Friends Of Humanity have once again taken mutant hostages." He replied. "Apparently they were taken during the riot. We found someone who had managed to hide and avoid capture, but he informed us that they have others."

"Did he know where they have taken them?" She questioned.

"No, that was all the information he was able to give us." He answered. "We got him to safety and are attempting to track down the remaining FOH in the area as we speak."

"Good." She replied. "Be careful and keep us updated. Good luck."

"I wish there was something we could do." Alice said after the screen went blank.

"Let us hope all goes well." Storm replied. "That is all we can do for now."

* * *

"They have a hard time learnin'." Wolverine remarked from his seat in the Blackbird. "You think they'd a learned their lesson by now." 

"I don't think they're ever gonna learn their lesson." Jubilee replied. "Every time we turn around they're after more mutants."

"You see anyt'ing yet, mon ami?" Gambit asked from his seat in the back.

"Not yet." Beast answered. "I can't find any traces of--"

He stopped when he spotted a group of people in the street below them.

"What's wrong?" Jubilee asked.

"I believe we may have found our targets." He replied. "There appears to be some kind of gathering taking place directly beneath us."

"So fly us down for a closer look." Wolverine said, clearly ready for another fight.

Once they got lower to the ground they could see that the group consisted of Friends Of Humanity members and lowered the stairs as soon as they touched down. They started out of the jet and gunfire was immediately sent in their direction. Wolverine grabbed Jubilee and dove out of the way while Gambit crouched in a defensive position and pulled a handful of cards out. He quickly threw them and the explosions took out several of the shooters on impact.

"Help us!" Their attention was caught by a scream coming from the crowd. Wolverine was the first to spot the woman who had called out to them.

"There they are!" He pointed to a small group of mutants that were in the center of the mob.

"We must get to them without any of them getting hurt!" Beast shouted.

"Hope that don't go for the Friends Of Humanity too." Wolverine replied as he plunged into the crowd with his claws out.

Gambit released another charged card and blew the gun out of a mans hand as Beast made his way through the mob. He reached the mutants and jumped towards the gunmen guarding them, knocking them all out of his way as he cleared a path for them to escape.

"Get to the jet!" He shouted, continuing to ram through the crowd.

The mutants ran as fast as they could and Gambit threw more cards to cover their escape. Jubilee led them to the Blackbird and made sure they were all safely inside before returning to the battle.

"Come on, they're all inside!" She called out to the others. "Let's get outta here!"

Just then Beast let out a cry of pain and collapsed, grabbing his leg as he hit the ground.

"Beast!" Wolverine exclaimed, slashing his way through the crowd to get to him.

Gambit dove over the hood of a car as gunfire trailed behind him and tore the vehicle apart. He kept his head down while shots continued to hit the side of it and glass poured down on him. Then he put his hands on the car door in front of him and held them there while it charged. It was only a minute before the entire car was glowing and he ran out from behind it.

Wolverine was almost to Beast when the powerful explosion shook the ground. The force knocked him off balance and he stumbled, putting his hand down in front of him to keep himself from falling. He turned around and saw the smoking crater in the road, the side of the building near it burnt and cracked. Then he glanced around at the Friends Of Humanity as they fled the scene.

One of them was running away when he was suddenly grabbed and slammed against a light pole.

"Where you off to?" Gambit glared into the mans eyes as he pushed him against the pole, holding him by the collar of his jacket. "We not done here yet."

Wolverine ran over to Beast and knelt down beside him, looking over his leg to evaluate the injury.

"You okay?" He asked.

"I'll be fine, Logan." Beast replied. "It seems I wasn't fast enough to dodge that last shot."

"Guess not." Wolverine commented as he finished his inspection. "Doesn't look too serious, we'll be able ta patch it up."

"Beast, are you alright?" Jubilee asked, rushing over to join them.

"He'll be fine." Wolverine answered first. "Give me a hand, let's get em to the Blackbird."

Beast put an arm around each of their shoulders and they hoisted him up to his feet. He leaned heavily on Wolverine to compensate for his hurt leg and they started for the jet.

"Where is our Cajun friend?" Beast asked.

They stopped walking and looked around, searching the now empty street for Gambit.

"Uuh-oh." Jubilee was the first to see him.

"I'm sorry, let me go!" The man pleaded, but Gambit kept a firm grip on his jacket.

"So now you sorry, eh?" Gambit replied.

The man looked down at his jacket in shock as it began to glow.

"Gambit, stop!" He turned when he heard Jubilee's voice behind him.

"You know you can't do this." Beast tried to reason. "You know you will never be able to return to the team if you kill him."

"Den consider dis my resignation." Gambit replied, turning back to the man. The jacket grew brighter and brighter as he pushed him against the pole even harder. "Bang, mon ami. You dead."

Suddenly the charge faded and he pushed the man aside. He stepped over to the others as the man ran away and took Jubilee's place under Beast's arm to help support him.

"We done enough for one day, non?" He remarked.

"Indeed we have." Beast agreed as they made their way towards the Blackbird.

* * *

Gambit slowly lifted an eyelid and glanced up when he heard someone clear their throat. He let out a yawn and sat up on the couch he was sprawled out on, smiling as he looked into the green eyes watching over him. 

"Welcome back, Chere." He continued to grin while Rogue stood in front of the couch with her hands on her hips.

"What in sam hill are ya doin' sleepin' in the middle of the day?" She asked with an emused smirk.

"Jus' waitin' for you ta get back." He answered as he got up from the couch. "Miss me?"

"You wish, swamp rat." She replied.

"Don' worry, Chere, you don' gotta say anyt'ing." He said, shooting her his cockiest smile. "I know you miss me. T'ings must a been aweful boring wit'out Gambit around."

"You kiddin' me?" She teased, rolling her eyes while she turned to leave the room. "If anything Ah enjoyed havin' a vacation from yah."

"How de mission go?" He asked, still smiling to himself as he followed her out.

"It went fine." She answered.

"Good." He replied, drifting through the living room door close behind her. "Glad you come back in one piece."

"There you are! We've been looking all over for you guys..." They both looked over when they heard Jubilee. She was standing in the next room, along with Storm and Jean.

"You need somet'in, p'tite?" Gambit asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The Professor wants to see you in the Danger Room." She replied.

"I believe he wants an update on Alice's progress with her abilities." Storm added.

"Den I best not keep 'em waiting too long, eh?" Gambit boasted as he made his way out of the room. "He in for a pleasant surprise."

"Has she really gotten that much better?" Jean asked once he was gone.

"She has made quite an improvement." Storm replied.

* * *

The Professor sat in the Danger Room and watched while Gambit and Alice demonstrated the progress she had made with her powers. 

"She got a lot better since you been gone." Gambit said with a grin as a card slid from the sleeve of his duster and into his hand. "Observe."

He looked over at Alice and waited for her to nod before throwing the card into the air without charging it. Professor Xavier watched as Alice focused on the card and it began to glow in midair.

"Now, p'tite." Gambit crossed his arms in front of him and continued to watch the card.

Right on cue the card exploded and left a cloud of smoke in the air above them. Gambit and Alice both smiled and turned to an astonished Charles Xavier.

"I have never seen such a degree of progress in such a short period of time." He commented, looking quite pleased at the display of her control.

"Impressive, non?" Gambit was clearly satisfied with the demonstration.

"It truely is." Xavier replied, smiling at Alice. "I hope you can learn more during your stay with us."

"Me too." Alice smiled back.

"You t'ink we can have a minute, Professor?" Gambit's cheerful expression suddenly vanished.

"Of course, is there something wrong?" Xavier asked.

"Jus' need ta have a word wit' Alice is all." Gambit answered.

"Very well." Without another word Xavier left the room, leaving the two of them alone.

"What is it?" Alice asked, noticing the concerned look in Gambit's eyes.

He crossed his arms in front of him and just stared at her, thinking of what he was going to say for a minute before he finally spoke up and broke the silence. "I t'ink maybe it's time you go home, p'tite."

"What?" Alice was obviously stunned by his statement.

"I t'ink you should go back to your family." He replied.

"You don't want me here anymore?" She asked as a hurt expression appeared on her face.

"Non, p'tite, dat's not it at all." He answered, letting out a heavy sigh. "You always welcome here." He paused before continuing. "But you got a family back home."

"I told you I--" She began to argue, but he cut her off.

"You gotta quit blamin' yourself." He interrupted. "What's done is done. Dere ain't not'in you can do 'bout dat."

She looked away from him as a tear ran down her cheek. "How am I supposed to face them again?"

"You gotta try." He replied. "If you don' you gonna regret it for de rest a your life."

Alice fought back her tears and didn't say anything for a long time, thinking things over in her head while Gambit quietly waited for her response.

"What if he's dead?" She finally managed to ask. "What if they hate me? Then what?"

"Dey not gonna hate you, p'tite." He answered. "You jus' remember you always got a home here."

"Always?" She asked, attempting to smile the best she could.

"No matter what." He replied with a grin.

* * *

"What a delightful idea." Storm commented as she watched Jean and Rogue finish setting up their picnic. "It will be nice to have one last meal together before Alice leaves." 

"I don't see why she even has to leave..." Jubilee pouted.

"The kid's got a family waitin' for her." Logan replied. "Can't expect her ta just stay here when she's got a home ta go back to."

"I guess." Jubilee mumbled, quiet enough that Logan was the only one to hear her.

"Here comes the guest of honor." Rogue announced when she saw Alice approaching with Gambit and Professor Xavier.

"I hope you like apple pie." Jean said once they reached them.

"I must say, Jean's pie is exquisite." Beast declared.

"Sounds good." Alice replied with a smile as they all took their seats around the food.

"Let's dig in." Scott spoke up, reaching for the food...

* * *

Alice tried to relax while the wind blew through her hair. She had said her goodbyes to everybody at the mansion and now she was on her way to do something she never thought she would be doing. She kept a tight grip around Gambit's waste as they sped down the road on his motorcycle. They were on their way to her house and she didn't know what she was going to do once she got there. 

She had no idea what to expect. She didn't know if she would be welcomed back or turned away at the door. She was hoping her family would be happy to see her, but she knew it was very possible that they wouldn't be. She didn't know if she would be forgiven for what she had done. She knew she could control her powers now and there was no risk in hurting anyone again, but by now it could be too late and it might not make any difference. For all she knew her brother was dead and her parents hated her.

She felt her chest tighten and her heart begin to race when they turned onto a familiar street. She looked around as they drove down the road, taking in the sights of her old neighborhood. They were almost there. She peered ahead and let out a deep breath she didn't realize she was holding when she saw her house. It was just as she remembered it.

"This is it." She said as they got closer to it.

Gambit pulled over to the side of the road and parked in front of the house, taking a look at the house in front of them. Alice hesitated for a moment before she climbed off the back, keeping her eyes on the house while Gambit got off and stepped over to stand beside her.

"You ready, p'tite?" He asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She replied, trying to hide her nervousness and failing miserably.

"Don' worry, Gambit here wit' you." He assured her, pulling a pair of sunglasses out of his duster pocket.

"You don't need to wear those here." She said as she put her hand on his arm to stop him from putting them on.

"You sure?" He asked.

"I'm sure." She answered with a smile.

He looked at her with a puzzled expression, but a second later it was replaced by a grin and he slid them back into his pocket.

"Shall we?" He held his arm out for her to take and she smiled back, hooking her arm through his.

They slowly walked towards the door and Alice let out a heavy sigh once they reached the porch. Gambit gave her an encouraging smile and stepped aside to give her space, leaving her to face her fears. She reluctantly lifted her hand to knock on the door, but before she had the chance to it flew open.

"Alice?!" A young man exclaimed as he grabbed her and swept her up in a hug.

Gambit watched the man that could have only been a couple of years older than her lift her up off the ground in his tight embrace.

"John, you're okay?!" Alice sounded shocked and took a step back to get a good look at him once he lowered her back to the ground.

"I'm fine, are you okay?" He asked. "Where have you been?"

"You're really alright?" Alice ignored his questions as she burst into tears, relieved to see that her brother was alive and well.

"I'm fine, Sis, don't worry about it." He answered, pulling her into another hug. "We've all been worried sick about you."

Gambit smiled to himself and crossed his arms in front of him, leaning back against the wall behind him. He watched the joyful reunion take place and could see the relief on both of their faces as they exchanged stories of what had happened to them. He explained his recovery and she explained how she was taken in at the mansion. Just then her brother realized Gambit was standing by them and looked over at him.

"Who's this?" He asked, obviously startled by the sight of his red on black eyes.

"Remy's de name." Gambit introduced himself as he offered a hand for him to shake.

"He saved me." Alice spoke up. "More than once."

"I'm John." Her brother hesitated, but finally reached out and shook his hand. "Thank you for helping. I don't know what we would've done if something happened to her."

"My pleasure, mon ami." Gambit replied.

"Where's mom and dad?" Alice asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

"They're in town, they'll be back soon." John answered. "They're not gonna believe this! We've been looking for you ever since you disappeared. Come in, let's get inside."

"Do you want to come in for awhile?" Alice asked, turning to face Gambit.

"I should probably move along, p'tite." He replied with a smug smile. "Dey be missin' me back home, non?"

"Are you sure?" She insisted. "Just for a little while."

"Really, it's no trouble." John added. "It's the least we could do."

Gambit was going to turn them down again, but gave in and followed them into the house.

* * *

The two of them stood outside the mansion as the sun began to set. Logan puffed on a cigar while Storm stood a safe distance away from the cloud of smoke he was producing. They were occupying their time with casual conversation when they heard the roar of an engine. Logan picked the sound up first, but Storm heard it shortly after. Gambit was pulling in when he saw them standing at the front of the mansion and drove over to join them, parking just at the edge of the yard and hopping off his motorcycle. 

"Did everything go well?" Storm asked as he walked over to them.

"Fine, Stormy." He replied. "We got not'in ta worry 'bout."

"Folks checked out, huh?" Logan spoke up, finishing off the last of his cigar. "No problems with her bein' a mutant?"

"Non, she got a nice family dere." He answered.

"Good." Storm said with a warm smile. "I'm glad."

"Me too, Chere." He replied.

They stood out in the lawn and talked for a few minutes before they decided to head inside. As soon as they stepped through the door they were greeted by Jubilee, who wanted to hear all the details about Alice's return home.

* * *

**_THE END_**

* * *


End file.
